Ruling and Opposition Parties Alarmed by Lower Voter Turnout Compared to Last Local Elections

Low Voter Turnout Benefits Conservatives?
"Vote Now" Urges Ruling and Opposition Leaders

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] As of 5 p.m. on the election day, the voter turnout is lower than the previous local elections, causing both ruling and opposition parties to be on high alert. Both parties predict that lower turnout will be disadvantageous to them and are making every effort to encourage voting.

According to the National Election Commission, the voter turnout as of 5 p.m. was 47.6%, which is 8.5 percentage points lower than the turnout at the same time during the 2018 local elections (56.1%). Although the early voting rate was 20.62%, the highest ever recorded in local elections, the turnout for the main voting remains low.

It is generally analyzed that low turnout favors conservative parties because younger voters, who tend to support progressive parties, are less likely to participate when turnout is low. However, following the closely contested presidential election and with the importance of consolidating support in battleground areas, both ruling and opposition parties predict that low turnout will be disadvantageous to each of them.

Accordingly, both parties have taken to SNS (social networking services) to encourage their supporters and party members to vote. Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, said in the morning, "The turnout is low. Even though it may be inconvenient in each region, please make sure to go to the polling stations and vote now. Elections are decided by voting, not by opinion polls."

Gyeonggi Province Governor candidate Kim Eun-hye also said, "There are only a few hours left for voting. However, the current turnout is significantly lower than that of the 2018 local elections. I ask everyone to actively encourage those around you not to give up voting."

The Democratic Party leadership also urgently called for voter turnout on the same day. Park Ji-hyun, co-chair of the Democratic Party's election committee, said, "The turnout is low. Please rush to the polling stations now. There is still time," appealing for support.

Kim Nam-guk, spokesperson for the election committee, mentioned the turnout in Ansan City, Gyeonggi Province, saying, "The turnout is low. Please go to the polling stations right now. We can only win if we vote."

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