Ballot Shortages Occurred in Past S. Korean Elections, NEC Internal Reports Lacking

The National Election Commission (NEC) in South Korea is facing scrutiny following a ballot shortage incident during the recent local elections. Investigations have revealed that this is not an isolated issue, as similar shortages of extra ballots occurred in the 2020 general election and the 2022 presidential election. However, these past incidents did not lead to significant disruptions or halts in voting.

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Ballot shortages can occur at any time, so the Election Commission needs to be vigilant and prepare an accurate response manual.

Despite these prior occurrences, the NEC proceeded to lower the minimum printing threshold for ballots from 60% to 50% before the latest elections. This decision, made by the Secretary-General's office, has drawn criticism, particularly as the commission had reportedly informed the Democratic Party's election integrity task force that there were no previous ballot shortages. This suggests a lack of thorough internal reporting and awareness regarding the issue.

According to data provided by Democratic Party lawmaker Im Mi-ae, the 8th local elections four years ago saw approximately 100 to 200 extra ballots distributed to two polling stations, with one ballot actually being used in Goheung County, South Jeolla Province. In the 22nd general election held in 2024, one polling station received additional ballots. The 21st presidential election saw 42 polling stations receive anywhere from 50 to 500 extra ballots, with one station in Dalseong County, Daegu, using 12 of these additional ballots.

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In previous elections, there were no confirmed or reported cases of ballot shortages in polling districts.

Lawmaker Im pointed out that even though ballot shortages are a recurring possibility, the NEC did not adequately prepare a crisis response manual or system for the recent local elections. She emphasized the need for the NEC to maintain vigilance and establish precise response protocols. The commission's failure to accurately report past ballot shortages to the Democratic Party's task force has further fueled concerns about the NEC's organizational complacency and its handling of electoral processes.

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The fact that the Election Commission did not report internally at all on how it responded to ballot shortages, even if they didn't lead to a suspension of voting, shows how complacent the organization is.