Songpa Polls Stay Open Until 10 p.m. as NEC Says Only Half the Ballots Were Printed [June 3 Public Choice]

On June 3, when voting was held for the June 3 local elections, confusion spread at polling stations nationwide, with ballot shortages and disruptions reported at multiple sites. In particular, some polling stations in southeastern Seoul ran short of ballots, forcing voters to wait for long periods and sparking unprecedented protests.
According to the NEC and local governments, Jamsil 7-dong Polling Place No. 2 in Songpa District extended its closing time from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for voters who had received waiting numbers after ballots ran out. The move was intended to protect the voting rights of people who had arrived before 6 p.m. but had to wait because no ballots were available.
Protests from voters continued at the scene. Some residents strongly objected, saying the votes cast at the polling station should be invalidated. Election workers also asked nearby apartment complexes to broadcast reminders to vote in an effort to find voters who had taken waiting numbers but had not yet voted. As a result, counting in the area was also delayed.
Earlier, at Jamsil 2-dong No. 6 Polling Place in Songpa District, ballots also ran short, and waiting numbers were handed out to voters who had not finished voting starting around 6:02 p.m. A man in his 20s, identified as Seo, who visited the polling place that afternoon, said, "The on-site election manager explained that ballots were allocated based on turnout in the previous election, but more voters showed up than expected, causing the shortage." He added, "I also heard that only about half the ballots had been prepared."
A ballot shortage also occurred in Incheon. At Songdo 5-dong No. 1 Polling Station in Yeonsu District, Incheon, voting was temporarily suspended around 5 p.m. because ballots had run out. The Incheon Metropolitan Election Commission urgently sent additional ballots at around 5:30 p.m., but voters continued to protest during the process. It was also confirmed that some voters at a polling station in Dongchun 1(il)-dong, Yeonsu-gu, had to vote after 6 p.m. because ballots for 20 to 30 people were missing.

The National Election Commission issued a formal apology as the situation spread. That evening, Heo Cheol-hoon, secretary-general of the NEC, released a public apology at the NEC in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi, and said, "We have caused great confusion and concern among the public." He added, "We deeply regret causing inconvenience to citizens who came to polling stations to exercise their precious sovereign rights, and we take responsibility for undermining public trust in fair election management."
The NEC said it sent additional ballots to polling stations facing shortages and took steps to ensure that voters still waiting after the closing time could cast their ballots normally. It also said that in Songpa District, where the problem first emerged, it had printed only about 50% of the total number of ballots for the main vote, taking early voting turnout into account. However, more voters than expected turned out on election day, and the prepared ballots were exhausted at some polling stations.
The NEC said it would identify the cause of the ballot shortages and the problems involved as soon as vote counting ends, and prepare measures to prevent a recurrence.
In response, Cheong Wa Dae said the ballot shortage during the local elections was "a matter the NEC should handle." The remark was interpreted to mean that, because the NEC is an independent constitutional body rather than part of the executive branch, it is difficult for the presidential office to issue a separate position.
yesji@fnnews.com Kim Ye-ji, Park Hyun-seong, Lee Bo-mi Reporter