COVID-19 Positive Voters Also Cast Ballots for Presidential Election Between 6 PM and 7:30 PM... Passed in Plenary Session (Update)

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Starting from the 20th presidential election, polling stations will be additionally operated from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM on election day for COVID-19 infected individuals. Accordingly, COVID-19 confirmed patients and those in self-quarantine will be able to vote in person in the presidential election on March 9.

On the 14th, the National Assembly passed the "Public Official Election Act Amendment" in the plenary session that allows COVID-19 confirmed patients and quarantined individuals who have received permission to go out from health authorities to vote.

Under the existing quarantine measures, the only ways for COVID-19 quarantined individuals to participate in this election were to apply for absentee voting between February 9 and 13 and then vote absentee, or to vote after 6:00 PM on the second day of early voting (March 5).

Moreover, if someone became a COVID-19 quarantined individual newly between the early voting period and election day, there were insufficient methods for them to participate in the election.

The amendment to the Public Official Election Act passed that day requires polling stations to be additionally operated from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM on early voting days and election day to guarantee voting time for quarantined individuals due to infectious diseases such as COVID-19. However, for quarantined individuals who are transportation-vulnerable in rural farming and fishing areas, if they receive recognition of the necessity for temporary outing from the local health center, they may vote at the polling station even before 6:00 PM.

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