"Constitutional Rights Violated... Explanation Needed from the National Election Commission"
Some Citizens Say "We Will Not Vote"
Calls to Distinguish from Election Fraud and Election Contestation
The unprecedented election management failures of the National Election Commission (NEC) have begun to cause public anxiety. Regardless of political leanings, citizens criticized the NEC, but some pointed out that associating the issue with election fraud only erodes social trust.
The day before, the NEC held an emergency full committee meeting, acknowledged responsibility for the management failures during the early voting process, and announced countermeasures. According to the NEC, COVID-19 positive individuals will be allowed to vote at their local polling stations on the 9th with temporary permission for brief outings from quarantine authorities, using the same method as regular voters. The previous method of handing ballots to election officials at temporary voting booths during early voting has been abolished, allowing voters to directly place their marked ballots into the ballot box. However, voting will only be possible after 6 p.m., once regular voters have finished voting.
Despite the NEC’s announcement of these measures, citizens remained skeptical. Criticism arose that the principle of secret ballots had already been violated, indicating a need for substantive measures. On the morning of the previous day, the NEC initially stated that ballots distributed to voters had to be invalidated according to regulations, but reversed its position within hours, deciding to validate all such ballots. The NEC did not provide a clear explanation for this change in stance.
A 20-something office worker, Mr. A, said, “I believe voters’ constitutional rights were infringed upon, as secret ballots were not protected during this early voting. It’s hard to understand why this happened, and the NEC needs to provide a clear explanation to alleviate public anxiety.”
There is also a movement to boycott the presidential election. The historically low favorability of the presidential candidates combined with the NEC’s management failures have dampened enthusiasm for voting. Mr. B (22), who did not participate in early voting, said, “I probably won’t vote on the main election day. There were no candidates I wanted to choose anyway, and this election has made it even harder to find any positive meaning.”
Eroding Social Trust Due to Management Failures... “Raising Election Fraud Allegations Will Only Further Confuse Society”
On the 6th, an official is monitoring at the CCTV integrated control center located in the early voting ballot storage room set up in the Comprehensive Situation Room of the Central Election Commission in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi Province. The early voting for the 20th presidential election, conducted over two days on the 4th and 5th, recorded a nationwide cumulative turnout rate of 36.93%, marking the highest ever. However, it became embroiled in controversy over inadequate management of early voting for COVID-19 confirmed and quarantined individuals. / Gwacheon - Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@
There is also a view that this controversy could weaken social trust and fuel conflict beyond just the presidential election. Mr. C (32), an office worker, said, “Because of the NEC’s management failures, it will be difficult for citizens who supported the losing candidates and parties to accept the results. There are already talks around me about the need for a re-election.” Civil servants have also joined the chorus of criticism against the NEC. Mr. D (29), a civil servant in a Seoul district office, said, “In reality, all the work is suddenly assigned to civil servants, and many around me criticize that the NEC has no practical role.”
Some argue that the special circumstances of COVID-19 must be taken into account. Mr. E (52), a self-employed individual, said, “I think this happened because they tried their best to prevent the spread of COVID-19. I hope that through the NEC’s countermeasures, the main election will proceed with fewer confusions.” Mr. F (29), an office worker, said, “We need to distinguish between the NEC’s management failures and election fraud. Raising allegations of fraud and refusing to accept the election results after the presidential election will only make society more chaotic.”
Lee Kang-yoon, director of the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI), said, “It may be an exaggeration to say that management failures will lead to voter abstention. Since the Candlelight Protests, political awareness among the public has grown, so I believe many people will participate in voting.”
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