15.61% Voter Turnout on First Day
Highest Early Voting Rate on First Day in History of General Elections
Early voting for the April 10 general election to elect the 22nd National Assembly members is underway for the second day at 3,565 polling stations nationwide on the 6th.
Voting hours are from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
On the 5th, when early voting for the 22nd National Assembly election began, voters visited the Naegok-dong Early Voting Station set up at the Naegok-dong Open Culture Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, and cast their votes. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
On the first day of early voting, the previous day, 6,915,100 out of a total of 44,280,011 eligible voters cast their ballots, recording a turnout rate of 15.61%.
This was the highest first-day turnout rate in the history of early voting for general elections, but it fell short of the 17.57% turnout rate on the first day of early voting during the 2022 20th presidential election.
However, since both ruling and opposition parties have actively encouraged their supporters to participate in early voting for this election, attention is focused on whether the final early voting turnout rate, which closes on this day, can surpass the record set in the 20th presidential election.
The final turnout rate for early voting in the 20th presidential election was the highest among all nationwide elections to date.
Voters wishing to participate in early voting can vote at any early voting station nationwide without separate registration. It is possible even at locations other than their registered address.
Polling station locations can be checked on the Central Election Commission website or by calling the representative phone number.
When going to vote, voters must bring an official ID issued by a government or public institution that includes their date of birth and photo to verify their identity, such as a resident registration card, passport, or driver’s license.
Mobile IDs are also acceptable, but the app must be launched on-site to verify the photo, name, and date of birth. Image files saved as smartphone screen captures cannot be used.
“In-district voters” who vote at early voting stations installed in their own district, city, or county only need to receive a ballot, mark it, and place it in the ballot box.
“Out-of-district voters” who vote at early voting stations in districts, cities, or counties where they do not reside must receive a ballot along with a return envelope, place the marked ballot inside the return envelope, seal it, and then put it into the ballot box.
After early voting ends, election officials transfer the in-district early voting ballot boxes to the district, city, or county election commission, and the return envelopes from out-of-district early voting ballot boxes are handed over to the post office.
The transfer and handover process is accompanied by election observers representing political parties and candidates, as well as police officers.
In this general election, anyone can check the storage status of early voting ballot boxes 24 hours a day through large CCTV monitors installed at the city and provincial election commission offices without separate application.
The Election Commission plans to select one early voting station and publicly disclose the entire process from the close of early voting, transfer and storage of ballot boxes, to the receipt of return envelopes containing out-of-district early voting ballots, ballot box insertion, and storage on the day after early voting ends.
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