Gyeongnam Election Commission Provides Guidance on Permissible Election Campaign Activities and Scope
The Gyeongnam Election Commission announced on the 22nd that the election campaign period for the Changnyeong County Governor and the Gyeongnam Provincial Council member for Changnyeong County District 1 by-election will begin on the 23rd.
According to the Gyeongnam Election Commission, the election campaign period for the by-election on April 5th will be from March 23rd to April 4th.
Anyone eligible to campaign can conduct election activities during this period in accordance with the methods prescribed by the Public Official Election Act.
Election campaigning using the internet, email, social networking services (SNS), and text messages is allowed at all times, including on election day.
Candidates, their spouses, election managers accompanying the candidates, and election staff can conduct election campaigns by ▲wearing accessories such as sashes, upper garments, or badges ▲distributing business cards ▲posting banners ▲giving speeches or holding dialogues in public places ▲using media outlets.
Election posters and bulletins are prepared by the candidates and submitted to the Election Commission, which then posts the posters at designated locations and sends the bulletins to voter households.
Campaign pledges can be distributed only in the Changnyeong County Governor by-election through the candidate’s family, election manager, election staff, accounting manager, or activity assistants.
Election campaign banners can be posted up to twice the number of towns and townships within the electoral district.
Candidates, election managers, election staff, or their designated persons may use vehicles equipped with loudspeakers or portable loudspeakers to give speeches or hold dialogues in public places from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The use of vehicle-mounted or portable loudspeakers, recorders, and video cameras is allowed until 9 p.m., but video cameras without audio output can be used until 11 p.m.
Voters eligible to campaign may ▲appeal for support for a specific candidate by speaking or calling in public places ▲promote via internet, email, SNS, or text messages ▲participate in election campaigns as volunteers.
Volunteers may not request or receive allowances or reimbursements, and must not share posts on SNS that defame candidates or contain false information.
Election campaigning using sashes, hats or clothes of the same shape and color, badges, placards, or other accessories is prohibited, and photographing ballots in voting booths or posting them on SNS is forbidden.
Voters under the age of 18 are not allowed to campaign during the election period.
Political parties are prohibited from using facilities or other means during the election period to communicate their policies or political positions as part of routine party activities.
All banners already posted in the Changnyeong area, where the by-election will be held, must be removed by the 22nd.
A Gyeongnam Election Commission official stated, “We will carry out prior guidance and preventive activities to establish a fair election order,” and added, “Candidates should compete fairly with policies, and voters should carefully examine pledges and candidates and actively participate in voting.”
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