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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Lawmaker Na Kyung-won Demands By-Elections Over Ballot Shortages

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Na Kyung-won, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, is calling for a by-election in constituencies where ballot shortages occurred during the June 3 local elections.
  • She argues that the integrity of the election process, not just the vote margin, determines its validity, and that voters were disenfranchised.
  • Na also proposed reforms including dissolving the National Election Commission and restricting early voting methods.

Na Kyung-won, a prominent lawmaker from the People Power Party, has demanded by-elections in districts affected by ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections. Speaking at a press conference, Na stated, "If I were Seoul Mayor-elect Oh Se-hoon, I would immediately go to the site at Jamsil Olympic Park and declare a by-election."

Na asserted that the repeated revelations of mismanagement and irregularities by the National Election Commission (NEC) necessitate new elections in problematic constituencies. She, along with several other party members, argued that the disenfranchisement of voters, regardless of whether the number of affected voters could have changed the outcome, constitutes a constitutional violation. They emphasized that the validity of an election rests on the procedural legitimacy, not solely on the final vote difference.

If I were Seoul Mayor-elect Oh Se-hoon, I would immediately go to the site at Jamsil Olympic Park and declare a by-election.

— Na Kyung-wonLawmaker Na Kyung-won demanding a by-election due to ballot shortages in the recent local elections.

To address such issues, Na announced the introduction of a revision to the Public Official Election Act. This amendment aims to allow for the nullification of elections, either partially or entirely, if voters are prevented from exercising their right to vote due to the NEC's fault, irrespective of the election results. She also proposed extending the period for filing complaints from the current 14 days after election day to 30 days after the winner is determined.

Further reforms advocated by Na include the dissolution of the NEC and the abolition of the out-of-district early voting system. She suggested that the NEC should retain only its minimal constitutional functions, with practical aspects of voting and vote counting, which involve significant budgets and manpower, being delegated to other agencies. Na also called for limiting in-district early voting to a single day immediately before the main election, conducted at the same location as the main polling stations to eliminate distrust regarding ballot transportation.

The integrity of the election is based not on the resulting vote difference, but on the constitutional legitimacy of the procedure.

— Na Kyung-wonNa Kyung-won emphasizing the importance of procedural fairness in elections during a press conference.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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