The National Election Commission has issued an apology for a ballot shortage that occurred at several polling places in Seoul during the June 3 local elections.
Heo Cheol-hoon, Secretary General of the National Election Commission, delivered a public apology on June 3 at 9 p.m. at the commission's office in Gwacheon, stating, "We caused significant confusion and concern among the public." He bowed his head in acknowledgment of the issue.
Heo added, "We regret the inconvenience caused to citizens who came to exercise their precious right to vote due to the shortage of ballots at some polling places on election day. I take full responsibility for undermining public trust in fair election management and sincerely apologize."
The shortage primarily affected polling places in the Songpa district of Seoul. Starting around 1 p.m., some locations, including the 6th polling station in Jamsil 2-dong, experienced a lack of ballots, leading to voters waiting on-site. Voters at the 3rd and 7th polling stations in Garak 2-dong also stood in line until the ballot shortage was resolved.
The commission explained that once they became aware of the ballot shortage, they dispatched additional ballots to the affected polling places. They also ensured that voters waiting at the polling stations could cast their votes even after the official closing time of 6 p.m.
Heo emphasized that the commission takes this matter very seriously, stating, "We will accurately identify the causes and issues related to the ballot shortage at some polling places as soon as the counting is completed and will implement measures to prevent a recurrence."
The People Power Party also visited the commission to express their concerns. Shin Dong-wook, head of the party's Election Integrity Committee, demanded explanations regarding the scale and causes of the ballot shortage.
Reports indicate that some voters waited for as long as two to three hours due to the ballot shortage, with some choosing to leave without voting.
The commission plans to review the exact circumstances of the incident and the response measures taken after the counting concludes.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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