The joint investigation team looking into the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections has found evidence that local election commissions were aware of the potential for ballot shortages but failed to implement related guidelines.
According to legal sources on July 5, the investigation team secured an email titled "Guidelines for Ballot Management" during a search of the Central Election Commission's server and is currently reviewing the commission's response process.
The Central Election Commission sent a communication to local election commissions on May 31, shortly after early voting, stating that "there may be a shortage of ballots in polling places with low early voting rates, and measures such as distributing additional unnumbered ballots should be considered."
The investigation team suspects that local election commissions did not properly implement the guidelines despite receiving the email after the early voting rates were confirmed.
If they had acknowledged the low early voting rates, they should have prepared for potential ballot shortages according to the email, but there was a lack of adequate preparation.
The investigation team believes that if local election commissions had adhered to existing guidelines and regulations, the worst-case scenario of ballot shortages on election day could have been avoided.
The team is also continuing to investigate the reasons behind the decision to reduce the number of printed ballots to 50% of the electorate.
On the previous day, one member of the Songpa District Election Commission was summoned as a witness to confirm whether concerns were raised internally during the process of reducing the number of ballots.
Since its establishment last month, the investigation team has focused on reconstructing the events surrounding the ballot shortages by questioning over 70 individuals, including officials from polling places that experienced shortages and local election commission staff.
Once the investigations of officials from the Central Election Commission and the Seoul Election Commission are completed, inquiries into higher-level officials are expected to follow.
Investigations into allegations of overseas business trips involving former Central Election Commission Chairman Noh Tae-ak and other commission staff are also anticipated to continue following the completion of witness testimonies.
Meanwhile, the investigation team received a dispatch of Im Hong-seok, head of the Tongyeong branch of the Changwon District Prosecutor's Office, on July 1, and will receive two additional prosecutors starting July 6.
Procedures are also underway to dispatch additional police personnel to bolster the investigative team.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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