The Election Commission Completes Disinfection at 14,330 Polling Stations... First-Time Sign Language Interpretation Service Provided for the Hearing Impaired

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The Central Election Commission announced on the 13th that it plans to complete the setup of all 14,330 polling stations and 251 counting centers nationwide ahead of the April 15 general election.

◆Providing sign language interpretation service for the first time = To facilitate voters, the Election Commission has arranged 99.1% (14,201) of all polling stations on the first floor or in locations with elevators. All polling stations will have large voting booths accessible by wheelchair, and special voting tools (mouse-type and wristband-type), magnifying glasses, and Braille voting aids for visually impaired voters will also be provided.

For the first time in this election, video call sign language interpretation services will be offered for hearing-impaired voters.

◆Maintaining at least 1-meter spacing in voting lines = Disinfection of polling stations will be conducted until the 14th of this month. Entry of outsiders will be prohibited until voting begins. Dedicated staff will check voters' temperatures with thermometers at the polling station entrances, and voters will sanitize their hands and wear disposable plastic gloves.

Those with a body temperature of 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher or respiratory symptoms will vote at temporary voting booths. Temporary voting booths will be disinfected immediately after use.

Polling staff will minimize contact with voters and wear masks and medical gloves. Voting guides will ensure that voters maintain at least 1 meter of distance in line and will ventilate the polling stations regularly.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆Manual counting for proportional representation, ballot sorting machines for constituencies = The Election Commission will conduct a final mock test of the ballot sorting machines the day before the election, observed by monitors selected by each political party and candidate.

74,000 personnel will be deployed for vote counting. The 48.1 cm proportional representation ballots cannot be processed by the sorting machines and will be manually sorted entirely, while constituency ballots will be sorted using ballot sorting machines. The sorted ballots will be visually inspected once again using ballot inspection and counting machines. General public vote counting observers, selected through open recruitment, will monitor the counting process at all counting centers.

After voting closes, ballot boxes at polling stations will be sealed with special seals and transported under police escort by election managers and observers to the counting centers. Early voting and postal ballot boxes stored by each city, county, and district election commission will also be transported together by election commissioners recommended by political parties, counting observers, and police officers.

On the 13th, two days before the 21st National Assembly election, officials were working at the CCTV Integrated Control Center for early voting ballot box storage within the jurisdiction of the Gwacheon Central Election Commission in Gyeonggi Province. / Gwacheon - Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

◆Disinfection at counting centers = Counting centers will also be disinfected until the day before counting. Hand sanitizers will be provided, and door handles and equipment will be disinfected regularly. Ventilation systems within the facilities will be operated at maximum capacity.

The Election Commission plans to advise related agencies, political parties, and candidates not to appoint individuals with recent foreign travel history as counting staff or observers. If any appointed counting personnel show symptoms such as fever, they will be immediately replaced with reserve personnel.

All entrants to counting centers must undergo temperature checks and wear masks. Entry will be prohibited for those with fever or respiratory symptoms.

On the 13th, two days before the 21st National Assembly election, an official is monitoring at the Comprehensive Election Situation Room of the Central Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. / Gwacheon = Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

◆Counting staff to wear masks and medical gloves = All counting staff must wear masks and medical gloves and refrain from unnecessary conversations.

Counting observers must maintain appropriate distance, and media personnel and observers may only watch or report from designated areas. The Election Commission will order removal if observers violate conduct guidelines or fail to cooperate with maintaining order, threatening the safety of counting staff.

Korea Election Broadcasting will provide live real-time coverage of the voting and counting progress.

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