The People Power Party criticized the Election Commission on June 3 for ballot shortages at several polling stations during the local elections, demanding an investigation into the matter.
According to Yonhap News, Jeong Hee-yong, head of the party's election campaign committee, made an urgent statement at the party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, calling the incident "a shocking event that should not happen in the voting process of 2026 South Korea." He criticized the Election Commission for failing in its duties, stating, "The occurrence of voters being unable to cast their ballots due to a shortage of voting papers is a disgraceful level of negligence."
Jeong also demanded swift action to ensure that those who could not vote are allowed to do so and insisted that the causes of the incident be clearly explained to the public.
Song Eon-seok, co-chair of the campaign committee, stated in an urgent statement, "We will pursue a thorough investigation into this matter immediately after the election concludes and hold those responsible accountable." He strongly urged that citizens who waited past the voting deadline be guaranteed their right to vote.
Bae Hyun-jin, chair of the Seoul City Party, also criticized the ballot shortage at a press conference, saying, "This issue undermines the foundations of democracy." He emphasized that it is not merely a simple mistake but evidence of a breakdown in the election management system. Bae noted that the Central Election Commission's response, attributing the issue to increased voter turnout, was inadequate, and he vowed to investigate whether the election management's negligence infringed upon citizens' rights.
According to the People Power Party's own tally, as of 6 p.m. on June 3, ballot shortages were reported at 12 polling stations, including the fourth polling station in Munjeong 1-dong and the second polling station in Munjeong 2-dong in Songpa-gu, the sixth polling station in Jamsil 2-dong, the second polling station in Jamsil 7-dong, the fifth polling station in Jamsil 4-dong, the third and seventh polling stations in Garak 2-dong, the fifth polling station in Wirye-dong, as well as the fourth polling station in Cheongdam-dong in Gangnam-gu, the second polling station in Gaepo 2-dong, the sixth polling station in Guui 3-dong in Gwangjin-gu, and the seventh polling station in Noryangjin 1-dong in Dongjak-gu.
Reports of related video evidence from each polling station have been received, and the party is demanding a thorough explanation from the Central Election Commission along with measures to prevent a recurrence.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.