[21st General Election] Long Lines Outside School Gates... How COVID-19 Changed the Voting Booth Scene

On the morning of the 15th, the day of the general election, at around 6:30 AM, voters lined up waiting to vote at the first polling station set up at Gangnam Elementary School in Sangdo 1-dong, Seoul.

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[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Gwan-ju and Yoo Byung-don] The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic did not stop voters from casting their precious votes. On the morning of the 15th, the day of the 21st National Assembly election, citizens heading to polling stations formed long lines.

At around 6:30 a.m. that day, a line over 100 meters long formed outside the gate of Gangnam Elementary School gymnasium, where the first polling station was set up in Sangdo 1-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul.

The appearance of the polling stations was very different from previous years due to the COVID-19 situation. All voters wore masks, and in the interest of 'social distancing,' they waited maintaining a 1-meter distance at spots marked with blue tape. A disinfection foot mat was installed in front of the polling station, which voters stepped on before proceeding, and they could only verify their identity and receive ballots after putting on plastic gloves handed to them.

Despite the inconvenience, voters calmly waited to cast their precious votes. From a woman in her 40s holding the hand of her mother in her 80s to college students in their 20s who came with friends, everyone wore bright expressions. College student Kim Woo-seok (24) said, “I planned to vote early in the morning and then go back to work on my assignments, but I was surprised by how many people there were. I hesitated about voting because of COVID-19, but I thought it was right to exercise my rights as a citizen,” smiling.

Voters are casting their ballots at the gymnasium of Gangnam Elementary School in Seoul, where the first polling station of Sangdo 1-dong has been set up.

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One notable feature of this election was the 'record-breaking' proportional representation ballot paper measuring 48.1 cm. Since 35 parties fielded candidates, the longest ballot paper in history was produced. Some voters had to fold the ballot twice to fit it into the ballot box. Office worker Son (36) said, “Even after folding it twice, it didn’t fit well into the ballot box. I didn’t know there were so many parties in our country, and it seems like they just want to secure a seat in the National Assembly by any means, which doesn’t look good.”

Voters who cast their precious votes shared their hopes for the newly formed 21st National Assembly. Hong Woo-hee, in her 60s, said, “I don’t trust politicians,” but added, “I hope they work hard so that the people can live well.” Seo (34) said, “Since going out itself feels refreshing these days, it felt like a special election. Our country’s brand value has risen significantly due to COVID-19, so I hope for clean politics that does not damage our national dignity.”

Meanwhile, as of 7 a.m. that day, the nationwide voter turnout was 2.2%, up 0.4 percentage points compared to the 20th general election four years ago.

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