4.7 By-Election 6 PM Voter Turnout 49.5%... "2 Hours Left Until Polls Close"

Seoul Mayor 51.9%
Busan Mayor 46.9%

On the 7th, the day of the April 7 by-elections, citizens are lining up to vote at Hapjeong-dong 3rd polling station set up at Hapjeong-dong Community Center in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The National Election Commission announced on the 7th that the voter turnout for the by-elections and re-elections was 49.5% as of 6 p.m.

Out of a total of 12,161,624 eligible voters, 6,014,791 participated in the voting that began at 6 a.m. that day.

This turnout rate is 16.7 percentage points lower compared to the 66.2% turnout in last year's 21st general election. It is also 10.7 percentage points lower than the 60.2% turnout in the 2018 local elections. However, since the previous general and local elections continued voting until 6 p.m., but this election, being a by-election and re-election, will continue until 8 p.m., it is difficult to simply compare the turnout trends at 6 p.m. between this and previous elections.

The voter turnout for the highly watched Seoul mayoral and Busan mayoral elections was recorded at 51.9% and 46.9%, respectively. In Seoul, 4,373,117 voters cast their ballots, while in Busan, 1,376,872 voters participated.