4·7 By-Election 5 PM Voter Turnout 47.3%... 8.8%p Lower Than 2018 Local Elections

Seoul Mayor 49.7%
Busan Mayor 44.6%

On the 7th, the day of the April 7 by-election, citizens are lining up to vote at Hapjeong-dong 3rd Polling Station set up at Hapjeong-dong Community Center in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The National Election Commission announced on the 7th that the voter turnout for the by-elections and re-elections was 47.3% as of 5 p.m.

Out of a total of 12,161,624 eligible voters, 5,746,949 participated in the voting that began at 6 a.m. that day. From 1 p.m., early voting conducted on the 2nd and 3rd was also reflected in the turnout rate.

This turnout rate is 15.3 percentage points lower than the 62.6% turnout during last year's 21st general election. It is also 8.8 percentage points lower than the 56.1% turnout in the 2018 local elections. However, unlike previous general or local elections, this election is held on a weekday rather than a holiday and continues until 8 p.m. Therefore, it is difficult to simply compare the turnout trends with previous elections that ended at 6 p.m.

The voter turnout for the highly watched Seoul mayoral and Busan mayoral elections was recorded at 49.7% and 44.6%, respectively. In Seoul, 4,185,406 voters cast their ballots, while in Busan, 1,309,748 voters participated.

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