High Early Voting Turnout Prompts Intensive Campaigns by Political Parties
Democratic Party Focuses on Grassroots Listening with Strong Organization
Kim Yongtae of People Power Party Visits Chonnam National University Festival
Han Donghoon to Support Campaign After Casting Early Vote in Gwangju
Kwon Youngguk of Democratic Labor Party Votes at Yeosu Community Center
On the 28th, one day before the 21st presidential election early voting, Jang Yonggi, chairman of the Gwangju Election Commission, is inspecting a mock test at the early voting station set up at Jiwon 2-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Dong-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News
Early voting for the 21st presidential election will take place over two days, May 29 and 30.
According to the Gwangju and Jeonnam Election Commissions on the 28th, voters can visit any nearby early voting station with their ID. They will be classified as in-district or out-of-district voters depending on whether the voting station is within their registered address, and can vote accordingly.
In Gwangju and Jeonnam, early voting will be held at 96 and 298 locations, respectively, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The number of eligible voters is 1,194,191 in Gwangju and 1,558,464 in Jeonnam.
The Gwangju Election Commission, in response to recent incidents of election poster vandalism and the possibility of organized actions by groups alleging election fraud, has decided to deploy uniformed police officers to eight major voting stations expected to see large crowds. Patrols around voting stations will also be strengthened.
Disturbances inside voting stations will be addressed in accordance with the Public Official Election Act, with measures including restraint and removal from the premises. If necessary, assistance from the police will be requested to ensure a safe and fair voting environment.
In previous presidential elections, the early voting turnout was 48.27% in Gwangju and 51.45% in Jeonnam for the 20th election, and 33.67% in Gwangju and 34.04% in Jeonnam for the 19th election. Early voting rates in Gwangju and Jeonnam have consistently ranked among the highest nationwide in past elections.
As a result, each political party is focusing its campaign efforts in Gwangju and Jeonnam to boost early voting turnout. Given that this presidential election is unprecedented, being held under martial law and following the impeachment of the president, parties believe that early voting results will influence the main election day, and are making a final push in their campaigns.
On this day, one day before early voting begins, the Gwangju and Jeonnam campaign committee of the Democratic Party started greeting voters during morning and evening commutes at major locations. They are persuading voters and encouraging them to go to the polls through grassroots, door-to-door campaigns. The Jeonnam provincial party also held intensive rallies at the Shinan Jido five-day market and the Hwasun five-day market.
On this day at 7 p.m., Kim Yongtae, acting chairman of the People Power Party’s emergency committee, is scheduled to visit the Chonnam National University festival to campaign among students and citizens. Former People Power Party leader Han Donghoon will cast his early vote at 10 a.m. on May 29 at the Startup Support Center in Dong-gu, Gwangju, and at noon will hold a campaign rally at Chungjang-ro.
Kwon Youngguk, the Democratic Labor Party candidate, will campaign during the morning commute at Seokchang Intersection in Yeosu, Jeonnam, at 7 a.m. on May 29, and will cast his early vote at the Jusam-dong Community Center in Yeosu around 8 a.m. In the afternoon, he plans to visit the Kumho Tire Gwangju plant, which recently suffered a fire.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
