Voters Wearing Masks and Vinyl Gloves Say "Voting Process Is Not Inconvenient"

Early Voting Day 1 at 11 AM: Record High 3.72% Turnout
Thermal Cameras at Polling Station Entrances
Some Lines Formed Without Social Distancing

On the morning of the 10th, the first day of early voting for the 21st National Assembly election, a voter wearing plastic gloves casts a ballot at the Okdong early voting station set up at the Ulsan Veterans Affairs Office in Nam-gu, Ulsan. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The National Election Commission announced that the early voting rate for the 21st National Assembly election was recorded at 3.72% as of 11 a.m. on the first day of early voting on the 10th. This is the highest rate at the same time among all nationwide elections where early voting has been conducted.

According to the Election Commission, as of 11 a.m., 1,638,614 out of 43,994,247 eligible voters nationwide had cast their votes. The region with the highest early voting rate was Jeonnam, recording 6.32%. The region with the lowest voting rate was Daegu, at 2.87%.

On the 10th, five days before the April 15 general election, voters continued to visit the 3,508 polling stations set up nationwide to cast their votes in advance. The Namyeong-dong early voting station set up at Seoul Station was also crowded with voters who came early in the morning to cast their precious votes.

Citizens who started lining up for voting from 6 a.m. waited based on floor tape placed to maintain '1m social distancing.' Thermal cameras were installed at the entrance of the polling stations. Citizens had to use hand sanitizer provided at the polling stations and wear plastic gloves to enter. Staff inside and outside the polling stations were also working while wearing masks.

Kim Kyung-ah (62), who visited the polling station early in the morning, said, "I voted early because my work hours start early," adding, "The voting procedure was not complicated or inconvenient. Voting is something all citizens must do, so it is natural to manage it so thoroughly." She added, "Although the ballot paper was long, I clearly knew which party I wanted, so there was no confusion."

On the afternoon of the 9th, one day before the start of early voting for the 21st National Assembly election, an official from the National Election Commission is creating guide lines spaced apart in front of the Namyeong-dong early voting station set up at Seoul Station to practice 'social distancing.' [Image source=Yonhap News]

Some citizens expressed dissatisfaction, saying that 'social distancing' was not being observed. Mr. Lee, in his 70s, said, "There were people who did not line up according to the floor tape," adding, "That sight was uncomfortable to see." In fact, some voters ignored the floor tape placed to maintain distancing and lined up without gaps. However, election staff who saw this requested order maintenance, and only then did the voters line up according to the floor tape.

Some voters were also perplexed by the long ballot paper. Since the proportional representation ballot paper was 48.1 cm long, the longest ever, they were unsure how to insert the ballot paper. Kim Tae-young (38) said, "There was nothing particularly inconvenient about voting. But I was unsure whether to fold the ballot paper before putting it into the ballot box or just insert it as is." Mr. Lee (78) also said, "Because the paper was long, I was a bit confused at first about which party to mark. The marking space felt narrower," adding, "I somehow finished voting, but I was also unsure how to insert the ballot paper. So I just threw it in without folding."

Meanwhile, some voters came to vote without wearing masks. An election official on site said, "There was only one person who came to vote without wearing a mask," adding, "Not wearing a mask does not mean you cannot vote." Regarding this, the National Election Commission also stated, "Voters not wearing masks are allowed to vote at a specially prepared temporary voting booth or at the voting booth closest to the entrance of the polling station."