"Presidential Election... Feeling Very Uneasy" Aftermath of Poor Management of Voting by COVID-19 Positive Voters

Confirmed cases unable to place their ballots directly into the ballot box
Ballots sometimes placed in plastic bags or ramen boxes

On the last day of early voting, the 5th, a paper box containing ballots for confirmed and quarantined voters prepared by an early voting station in Haeundae-gu, Busan.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Woo-seok] "It seems unbelievable. I just can't trust it."

The controversy over the poor management of COVID-19 confirmed patients' voting during the early voting for the 20th presidential election on the 5th has intensified. Confirmed patients were unable to directly place their ballots into the ballot box and instead put them into unsealed envelopes or cardboard boxes. There were even cases where ballots already marked for a specific candidate were handed over. Additionally, confirmed patients were left outside for nearly an hour, raising public criticism that the voting process, which should have been fair, was not properly managed. President Moon Jae-in also called for measures to prevent recurrence.

This early voting took place over two days, the 4th and 5th, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, recording a total turnout of 36.93%, the highest early voting rate ever. However, on the second day, the 5th, between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., various issues occurred during the confirmed patients' voting.

For quarantine reasons, confirmed patients voted at specially prepared temporary voting booths, but they were unable to directly place their ballots into the ballot box. This was due to election law prohibiting the use of two ballot boxes simultaneously in the same electoral district.

Moreover, election officials collected confirmed patients' ballots in unsealed shopping bags, plastic bags, and ramen boxes, sparking controversy over the violation of ballot secrecy. Some citizens immediately protested or filed complaints. A confirmed patient voter, Mr. A, said, "I was shocked to learn that I couldn't put my ballot directly into the ballot box. The collection container wasn't even sealed. It was really absurd," adding, "Many complaints arose around me."

On the second day of early voting for the 20th presidential election, on the 5th, at a polling station in Seoul, ballots marked for a specific candidate were distributed, leading to a temporary suspension of voting due to protests from voters. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In some areas, voters received ballots that were already marked. In Sinsa 1-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, a report was filed that a ballot marked for Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, was received. In Yeonsan 4-dong, Busan, complaints were received about ballots already marked for Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party candidate.

There were also criticisms that confirmed patients were left outside for extended periods. Mr. A said, "The weather was quite cold, but I waited outside for nearly an hour because of the voting," and criticized, "The election commission should have planned the flow in advance to ensure voting proceeded quickly." In some polling stations, the paths of confirmed and non-confirmed voters even mixed.

In response to these controversies, a representative from the Central Election Commission (CEC) told Asia Economy, "Some polling stations were cramped, so such cases occurred during the use of certain facilities."

Given the situation, the government and political circles have urged prompt improvements in voting methods for confirmed voters and measures to prevent recurrence. According to Blue House spokesperson Park Kyung-mi on the 7th, President Moon said in a written briefing, "I believe the election commission needs to provide a detailed and sufficient explanation of the circumstances so that the public can understand," and added, "Measures must be thoroughly prepared to prevent such controversies from recurring in the main election."

Political circles have voiced criticism. On the 7th, Lee Nak-yeon, the Democratic Party's general election committee chairman, criticized, "(This early voting mismanagement incident) is a shameful matter for a democracy ranked 16th in the world and 1st in Asia, and a model country for COVID-19 quarantine." Kim Ki-hyun, the People Power Party floor leader, also pointed out, "The confirmed patients' voting procedures during the last early voting were a mismanagement unprecedented under the Moon Jae-in administration."

On the afternoon of the 5th, the second day of early voting for the 20th presidential election, confirmed and quarantined individuals are lining up to cast their early votes at the Sangmu 1-dong early voting station set up at the Student Education and Culture Center in Seo-gu, Gwangju. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Reflecting the political criticism, citizens also voiced their disapproval of the election commission's inadequate voting management. B, a college student in their 20s, said, "Receiving ballots in shopping bags is ridiculous. Since the presidential election is so close, it's unsettling to trust the election results," and added, "It might be better to just vote again."

Office worker Mr. Lee (30) also expressed disbelief. He said, "COVID-19 has been around for more than a day or two, so it's absurd that we couldn't prepare and ended up in this situation," raising his voice, "I have doubts about the election commission's competence."

Confirmed patients preparing for the main election are anxious. Mr. Jung (26), a confirmed patient who could not vote early, is coincidentally quarantined until the main election day (the 9th). He said, "I naturally planned to vote in the main election, but after seeing the controversy about early voting, I feel reluctant. I'm currently considering whether to vote," adding, "I'm worried whether my vote will be properly counted even if I go."

Meanwhile, on the 7th, the election commission held a full committee meeting and announced 'Voting Management Measures for Confirmed Patients on Election Day.' According to the announcement, COVID-19 confirmed patients can vote on the main election day from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., after general voters finish voting, and they will directly insert their marked ballots into the ballot box in the same manner as general voters.

Also, if general voters have not finished voting by 6 p.m., confirmed patients will wait in a separate area outside the polling station, separated from general voters' paths, and vote after all general voters have left. The election commission stated, "Due to the many confusions and inconveniences during the early voting process for confirmed voters on March 5, we have prepared these measures to prevent problems at the source and ensure perfect voting management."

The election commission also apologized on the 6th, saying, "We deeply apologize to the public for the many confusions and inconveniences caused during the early voting of COVID-19 confirmed voters conducted on March 5."

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