Ministry of the Interior and Safety Checks Preparations for Early Voting in the Nationwide Local Elections

Deputy Minister Han Chang-seop Reviews Key Early Voting Matters and Voting Procedures for Isolated Voters

Han Chang-seop, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, visited the early voting station for the "8th Nationwide Local Elections" set up at the Sindang-dong Community Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 26th to conduct a mock vote and carry out an on-site inspection.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 26th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that it conducted a final inspection of the installation, safety management, and quarantine status of 3,551 early voting stations nationwide in cooperation with the National Election Commission and local governments.

Han Chang-seop, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, visited the Sindang-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, together with Ma Chae-sook, Deputy Mayor of Jung-gu, Seoul, to directly verify the voting procedures for isolated voters and check the election preparation status.

This election, through amendments to the Public Official Election Act, separated the voting times for general voters and COVID-19 isolated voters, allowing isolated voters to vote in the same manner as general voters. Accordingly, this inspection focused on the time required for isolated voters to vote and the provision of quarantine supplies within the polling stations.

Early voting is a system that allows citizens who find it difficult to vote on the election day, July 1st, to vote in advance, and it will be conducted over two days from the 27th to the 28th. Any citizen with voting rights can visit the early voting stations prepared in each eup, myeon, or dong with an ID card from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. However, COVID-19 isolated voters are allowed to go out for election purposes only after the last day of early voting on the 28th and can vote from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. after the general voters' voting ends.

Han Chang-seop, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, “I appreciate the efforts of local government officials who worked hard on tasks such as preparing the voter list and sending voting guides for this local election,” and added, “Since this election is held under the COVID-19 situation, we will actively support to ensure a fair and safe election.”