NEC Secretariat Reported Re-vote Possible Due to Ballot Shortage on Election Eve

During a National Election Commission (NEC) meeting held in the early hours of June 4, 2026, the day after the local elections, the secretariat reported that the shortage of ballots could potentially warrant a re-vote. This legal interpretation was presented during a session focused on "organizing whether the ballot shortage constitutes grounds for election postponement."

The secretariat's interpretation cited Article 198, Paragraph 1 of the Public Official Election Act, which allows for re-votes in cases of "unavoidable reasons" such as natural disasters or the loss of ballot boxes. They argued that the inability of some voters to cast their ballots due to the shortage could fall under these "unavoidable reasons." A Supreme Court precedent from 1960 was referenced, suggesting that "when the voting could not be conducted in a certain polling station" could include instances where some voters were unable to vote.

However, the secretariat also noted that a re-vote would not be necessary if it was deemed unlikely to affect the election outcome. Such a determination would require the completion of the vote counting process. They also clarified that the decision on whether to hold a re-vote rests with the election commission of the relevant constituency.

This revelation contrasts with the NEC's earlier public statement, which asserted that the ballot shortage did not meet the criteria for postponing or re-running the election and that halting the ongoing vote count was not permissible. The commission did not explicitly address the possibility of a re-vote in its initial statement.