Election Commission Faces Backlash Over Voting Paper Shortages

"The Election Commission should handle election operations independently. No more using local government employees as scapegoats."

This statement was made by a public servant from Songpa District, who is believed to have supported the local elections held on June 3. The writer criticized the Songpa District Election Commission, questioning how no staff members were present at the polling stations and stating, "I can no longer work with such an inadequate group."

During the June 3 local elections, polling stations in the Gangnam area of Seoul experienced unprecedented disruptions due to a shortage of ballots. In both Gangdong and Seodaemun districts, election officials mistakenly issued two ballots to each voter. Although the voting deadline was extended to 10 p.m. for those who did not receive ballots, exit poll results and real-time vote counts were released before voting concluded, leading some voters to give up after waiting in line.

The situation escalated beyond just delayed voting; there were also issues with personal data leaks. Voter registration lists containing personal information were inadvertently broadcast live on YouTube from polling stations that lacked ballot boxes.

Heo Cheol-hoon, the Secretary General of the Election Commission, issued a public apology, but it further eroded public trust. He merely cited that "the high early voting rate led to a reduction in the number of ballots printed." While it is understandable that variations in voter turnout could lead to shortages, there was no explanation for the lack of response to reports from public servants indicating that they anticipated a shortage of ballots.

Ultimately, the ballot box at the second polling station in Jamsil 7-dong, the epicenter of the ballot shortage crisis, was opened two days after the local elections, and the counting was completed. Noh Tae-ak, the Chairperson of the Election Commission, held a press conference on the afternoon of June 5 to announce his resignation. He stated, "Heo Cheol-hoon has expressed his intention to resign as the head of the Secretariat, taking responsibility for this incident. I also feel a deep sense of responsibility for this entire situation and will step down as the Chairperson of the Election Commission." This marks the first time in four years that both the Chairperson and Secretary General have resigned amid election management controversies since the 2022 presidential election.

The Election Commission continues to assert that the high early voting rate justified the reduction in printed ballots. However, they admitted that they had no contingency plan to transport additional ballots in case of shortages. They failed to anticipate the possibility of a ballot shortage, resulting in no specific procedures for transporting additional supplies.

Out of 14,288 polling stations nationwide, 50 experienced ballot shortages, with 22 of those stations having to pause and then resume voting. This number is higher than initially reported.

With the additional ballot boxes opened, Oh Se-hoon’s election as mayor of Seoul was legally confirmed, but there were changes in the proportional representation seats in the Seoul City Council. One seat shifted from the Democratic Party to the People Power Party. Before the counting of the Jamsil 7-dong ballots on June 4, the proportional representation seats were 8 for the Democratic Party and 7 for the People Power Party. After the counting, the seats flipped to 8 for the People Power Party and 7 for the Democratic Party. Han Gi-seong, the Democratic Party's candidate for the 8th proportional representation seat, was removed from the list of elected candidates, while Wi Seong-chan from the People Power Party was newly elected.

Once trust in an election is lost, even a fair outcome will be met with skepticism. The preemptive measures intended to prevent allegations of fraud have inadvertently fueled conspiracy theories. Given that the Constitution designates the Election Commission as a constitutional body and guarantees its independence, it must undertake significant reforms to restore public trust.