"Fortunately, all the ballots taken out were voted on".. Election Commission apologizes to the public for poor management

[Financial News]  The Central Election Commission apologized to the public on the 29th for the incident where some early voting ballots for the 21st presidential election were leaked outside the polling station. Although the highest voter turnout in history was achieved on the first day of early voting, the poor operation of the election management body, the Election Commission, came under scrutiny.
The incident began when ballots were taken out from a polling station in the Sinchon area of Seoul on this day. Allegations of election fraud were raised, and the Election Commission was criticized for its lax management.
At around 12 p.m. on this day, a YouTube video live-streaming the entrance of the Sinchon-dong Community Center early voting station in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, captured citizens waiting to vote holding ballots and return envelopes in their hands. As the number of out-of-area voters trying to vote increased, the waiting line grew longer, and it was reported that ballots were pre-issued to those who had completed identity verification. Unlike local voters, out-of-area voters, who vote in a different region than their registered address, receive ballots and return envelopes.
The Central Election Commission acknowledged and apologized for the fact that ballots were taken out from the polling station. The Election Commission stated, "We deeply apologize to the public for the poor management of early voting."
The Election Commission said, "Such incidents are unacceptable at the common-sense level of the public," and added, "There was poor management during the early voting process," explaining that "a case occurred where the waiting line for out-of-area voters who received ballots at the Sinchon-dong early voting station extended outside the polling station."
The Election Commission admitted, "There was poor management in adjusting the speed of ballot issuance in the situation where the waiting line lengthened," and "control over the voters waiting in line was not perfect, with a few voters leaving the line."
The Election Commission stated, "Fortunately, the results at the end of the Sinchon-dong early voting station showed that the number of issued ballots for out-of-area early voters and the number of return envelopes in the out-of-area advance ballot box matched exactly," and "there were no ballots taken out, and it was confirmed that all voters waiting outside the polling station voted without exception." The Election Commission added, "We will manage even more thoroughly so that voters can vote with confidence in tomorrow's early voting and on election day."



rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo reporter