The Election Commission: "Drive-Through Voting in the General Election is Practically Difficult"

Regarding the distribution of masks to voters, "Securing supply is difficult"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] The National Election Commission expressed a negative view on the proposal to introduce a 'drive-thru' voting method, where voters cast their ballots without leaving their cars, to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during the April 15 general election.

On the 11th, Park Young-soo, Secretary General of the Election Commission, responded to a question from Kim Han-jung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, at the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee plenary session regarding whether the 'drive-thru' method, allowing quarantined individuals to vote without leaving their cars, would be feasible. He answered, "There are practical difficulties."

Secretary General Park said, "We reviewed foreign cases and examined on-site issues," adding, "Our voting process involves identity verification, marking the ballot in the voting booth, and personally placing the ballot into the ballot box, which makes it impossible to carry out these steps inside a car." He continued, "There are no locations secured by the Election Commission where cars can directly go for drive-thru voting," and explained, "It is not possible to prepare new locations, and there are practical difficulties in installing communication devices."

Regarding the plan to distribute masks to voters visiting polling stations, Secretary General Park said, "We intended to prepare about 8 million masks in case voters did not bring their own, but the financial authorities hold the position that individuals should be responsible for their own hygiene." He added, "Even aside from budget issues, it is difficult for the Election Commission to secure masks currently because mask supplies are being sold through official channels."

Assemblyman Kim asked Minister of the Interior and Safety Jin Young about the willingness to consult with financial authorities on budget and mask procurement issues. Minister Jin replied, "We will discuss it," and noted, "If the voter turnout is around 50%, more than 10 million masks will be needed." However, regarding the drive-thru method, Minister Jin said, "(For quarantined individuals) the Ministry of Health and Welfare has prohibited movement, so consultation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare is important."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.