In a statement released early that day, the NEC apologized for the confusion and inconvenience caused to voters at some polling stations on June 3 due to the lack of ballots. "We deeply regret the disruption to the exercise of voting rights for citizens who took the time to visit polling stations," the commission said.
The NEC expressed its profound responsibility, noting, "Despite the efforts of each voter to participate in democracy, the commission's oversight led to significant disappointment and concern for those who came to cast their votes."
However, the NEC asserted that the ballot shortage at some polling stations on election day does not qualify as grounds for postponing the election or calling for a re-election under the Public Official Election Act. They stated that halting the ongoing vote counting is not permissible, and the ballots from the affected polling stations must be transported to the counting center to confirm the voters' intentions.
The commission also committed to making every effort to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and to implement measures to prevent its recurrence once the counting is completed. They reiterated their apology for failing to ensure a smooth exercise of voting rights and promised to provide the public with detailed information regarding the causes and solutions to prevent such issues in the future.
Jang Dong-hyuk, the leader of the People Power Party, visited the NEC to protest the ballot shortage. Speaking to reporters, he stated, "We strongly demanded a halt to the counting process, but the NEC did not accept our request," asserting, "This election is unacceptable."
Jang claimed, "The citizens' voting rights have been infringed upon, and this election is severely compromised," expressing strong regret over the NEC's decision and vowing to fight alongside the public until the issue is resolved.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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