Ministry of the Interior and Safety Accepts Absentee Voting Registration for By-elections and Re-elections

Through Postal Services and Local Government Websites

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 12th that it will accept 'absentee voting applications' in writing, by mail, and online from the 14th until 6 p.m. on the 18th, ahead of the '2023 First Half By-election' to be held on the 5th of next month.

Those eligible to apply for absentee voting include ▲ soldiers or police officers who live for extended periods in military bases or ships far from early voting stations and polling places, ▲people staying in hospitals or nursing homes, or those confined in detention centers, prisons, or jails, ▲persons with severe physical disabilities who are unable to move, ▲and residents of remote islands as defined by the Central Election Commission regulations.

Applicants wishing to register for absentee voting must complete the absentee voting application form and send it by mail or submit it in person (either by themselves or a proxy) to the city, county, or district office or the town, township, or neighborhood community service center of their registered residence.

In particular, starting from this by-election, considering situations where absentee voters may find it difficult to send by mail or submit in person, online absentee voting registration through the city, county, or district websites is also available.

However, for online absentee voting registration, since a verification process is required to confirm that the applicant is eligible for absentee voting, applications must be submitted earlier than the deadline on the 18th.

Choi Hoon, Director of Local Autonomy and Balanced Development at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, “The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will do its best to cooperate with local governments to carry out statutory election tasks such as receiving absentee voting applications to guarantee the precious voting rights of the people,” and added, “We ask absentee voters to check the methods of submitting absentee voting applications (in writing, by mail, online) with their respective city, county, or district offices and to apply accordingly.”

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