Gangnam also faces 'ballot paper shortage concerns'; Election Commission told to wait until 500 papers remain

Concerns about potential ballot paper shortages emerged at polling stations in Seoul's Gangnam district on election day, mirroring issues reported earlier in the Songpa district. Despite early warnings, election officials reportedly did not immediately act to replenish supplies.

At the 4th polling station in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam, a report was sent to the district's election commission around 11:33 AM stating that ballot papers might be insufficient. However, the commission allegedly instructed the station to contact them again only when approximately 500 papers remained. A Gangnam district official noted that while papers were still available, the report indicated a potential shortage, and the commission's response suggested a predefined procedure based on remaining quantities.

This situation echoes an incident in Songpa district earlier the same day, where election officials reportedly told a polling station to wait until only 100 papers were left before requesting more. The discrepancy in the number of remaining papers cited (100 in Songpa versus 500 in Gangnam) suggests a lack of clear, standardized procedures for responding to potential shortages across different polling stations.

The polling station in Gangnam reportedly continued voting past the official closing time of 6 PM due to the number of voters waiting. The National Election Commission has stated it will investigate the incidents through its fact-finding committee, and police are reportedly examining messenger conversations among election officials in affected areas and the process of ballot paper distribution.

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I understand that the election commission told them to contact them again when about 500 sheets were left, as there are standards.