[Reporter Becomes Election Commissioner]④ Remaining Ballots Publicly Destroyed... Zero Tolerance for Any Margin of Error in Election

On the 27th of last month, the much-anticipated voting day arrived. Before the voting began at 10 a.m., the Seoul Football Association Secretariat was busy preparing. A banner announcing the by-election was hung in the meeting room of Hyochang Stadium, and desks, chairs, ballot boxes, and voting booths were arranged in their designated places. Outside the meeting room, booths were set up to verify voters' personal information and belongings.

On the 27th of last month, voting for the Seoul Football Association president by-election took place in the meeting room of Hyochang Stadium. The voting booth and ballot box were set up [Photo by Kim Hyung-min].

Banner announcing the Seoul Football Association by-election
Photo by Kim Hyung-min

The reporter, along with other election management committee members, sat inside the meeting room, closely monitoring to ensure no fraudulent activities occurred during voting. Three observers from the three candidates' sides were also present.

The most carefully observed issue was whether voters secretly took photos of their ballots with their mobile phones. Upon arrival at Hyochang Stadium, voters had their personal information verified in advance and temporarily handed over their phones, which were returned after voting. However, based on incidents in other elections where voters secretly brought phones into voting booths to photograph their choices and disclose them externally, strict measures were taken to prevent this. This was to uphold the election principle of 'secret ballot.' Therefore, the 'monitors' present, including the reporter, listened attentively for the sound of camera shutters in the voting booths and scrutinized voters' attire, especially their pockets, with sharp eyes.

The ballot boxes filled with votes surprisingly quickly. Out of the 99 voters pre-assigned to cast ballots, 96 voted. Nearly 50 people had already voted between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., reflecting the exceptional interest of Seoul's football community in this election.

The post-voting procedures were also conducted transparently in a public setting. Three unused ballots, corresponding to three voters who did not show up, were discarded in front of the election committee and observers. Although this might seem like a minor detail, conducting it openly prevented unnecessary controversy and drew attention.

The vote counting after the Seoul Football Association president by-election was conducted manually in front of observers and the election commission [Photo by Kim Hyung-min].

The new president of the Seoul Football Association is former Chung-Ang University professor Seong Jung-gi. Professor Seong received 45 out of 96 valid votes, defeating candidate Lee Min-geol, who received 27 votes. President Seong will serve the remainder of former president Choi Jae-ik’s term until January 2025. Upon inauguration, he stated, "I will revitalize youth soccer and prepare a 10-year future vision for Seoul soccer through harmony among academy soccer and amateur soccer."

It cannot be overstated how important it is for elections to be conducted transparently and fairly. Not a single margin of error is acceptable. Errors breed distrust and can threaten democracy, the very purpose and essence of elections. Experts say distrust in elections may grow as times change. As citizens’ awareness rises and election methods rapidly evolve to include smartphone voting, new controversies and suspicions may arise. In such times, those overseeing elections must pay meticulous attention and make special efforts to ensure fair and transparent procedures. This is a 'homework' our society must accomplish.

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