Whether Confirmed Patients Who Received Ballots Can Vote Remains Unclear

Korea Election Commission Yet to Decide on Maximizing Voting Rights for COVID-19 Positive Voters
Aftermath Expected Over Participation in Main Election
Controversy Over Voting Hours for Positive Cases... Opposition Claims "Calculation to Forfeit Voting by Positive Voters"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The National Election Commission has yet to provide a clear answer on whether voters who printed ballots during early voting on the 5th but did not vote will be allowed to vote on the main election day. With the election just around the corner, the commission’s failure to decide on recognizing the voting rights of these voters is expected to draw criticism once again.

On the 8th, a National Election Commission official said, "We are investigating and verifying the matter," adding, "A decision will be made once the investigation reaches a certain point." Previously, the commission stated, "If it is possible to identify to whom the ballots were issued, we will allow them to vote on the main election day," but it is known that reaching a consensus on this issue is proving difficult.

Separately, the National Election Commission issued a brief statement titled "A Message to the People" on the same day. Chairman No Jeong-hee of the National Election Commission plans to personally deliver the statement to encourage voter participation. While each party is focusing on boosting voter turnout, the political sphere is concerned that if the election becomes extremely close, disputes over the results may arise. Chairman No has already been reported to the prosecution by civic groups for alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act related to early voting.

The controversy over voting hours also continues. The opposition party raised concerns not only about early voting but also about restrictions on the time COVID-19 positive voters are allowed to leave their homes to vote on the main election day. Kim Ki-hyun, floor leader of the People Power Party, pointed out via social media that "The Election Commission plans to delay the permitted voting outing time for confirmed cases on the main election day from the original 5:30 p.m. to 5:50 p.m.," and questioned, "Is there a malicious political calculation to induce confirmed cases to give up voting or face voting obstacles, thereby creating an advantage for the ruling party candidate?"

President Moon Jae-in presided over a Cabinet meeting on the same day and urged, "The Election Commission must do its utmost to ensure there is no negligence in managing the voting and counting process until the moment the counting is completed," adding, "Especially, please take the issues revealed in early voting as lessons and prepare for all possibilities to ensure there are no gaps in guaranteeing the voting rights of confirmed cases."

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