Tongyeong mayoral election to undergo recount after 44-vote difference

A meticulous manual recount of ballots is set to take place on July 27 for the mayoral election in Tongyeong, South Korea. The election, held during the June 3 local elections, saw incumbent Mayor Kang Seok-ju narrowly defeat former Mayor Chun Young-ki by a mere 44 votes, marking the closest race among all local government heads nationwide.

Following the close result, Chun Young-ki lodged an appeal, expressing concerns about the ballot-sorting machine system and requesting a thorough review of all ballots. The Gyeongnam Provincial Election Commission accepted the appeal, leading to the decision for a recount. This process is crucial as it could potentially overturn the election outcome.

The manual recount will involve election officials meticulously examining each ballot, without the use of automated sorting machines. This procedure will be observed by representatives from both the Kang and Chun campaigns, as well as election committee members. The process is expected to take several hours, with results anticipated by 7 p.m. on the day of the recount.

Election officials will categorize ballots based on votes for the three candidates and invalid votes. The recount aims to verify the accuracy of this initial classification. The Gyeongnam Provincial Election Commission plans to review the recount findings and make a final decision on Chun's appeal by August 18. The cost of the recount, approximately $14,000, will be borne entirely by Chun, who initiated the appeal. This follows recent recounts in other mayoral elections, such as Chungju and Seongnam, which ultimately reaffirmed the initial results.

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We will conduct the Tongyeong mayoral election ballot recount on the afternoon of the 27th at the Gyeongnam Election Commission's main hall. If the process goes smoothly, the recount results are expected around 7 p.m. that evening.