Voters cast ballots after the 6 p.m. closing time at a polling station in Songpa District, Seoul, after the site ran short of ballots during the June 3 local elections, Wednesday. Yonhap

Voting at several polling stations in southern Seoul and Incheon was disrupted on Wednesday after ballot papers ran out during the June 3 local elections, prompting complaints from voters and criticism from both major parties.

According to the National Election Commission (NEC), 12 polling stations across three Seoul districts ran short of ballots on Wednesday afternoon. As of 6:30 p.m., the affected stations included 10 in Songpa District, one in Gangnam District and one in Gwangjin District.

Voters were left waiting past the 6 p.m. closing time. Officials issued queue numbers to manage the lines and ensure that those who remained could still cast their ballots after the deadline, though some voters left before additional papers arrived. The NEC said the shortage was caused by higher-than-expected turnout, adding that extra ballots were transported to the affected stations.

A similar disruption occurred in Incheon's Yeonsu District, where two polling stations temporarily ran out of ballots around 5:30 p.m. Additional ballots were delivered, though some voters waited up to 20 minutes while they were being transferred.

According to the National Police Agency, 14 complaints related to ballots were received, among them reports of voters being turned away at polling stations, including those in Songpa, Gangnam and Gwangjin districts.

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) vowed to hold those responsible fully accountable for the ballot shortage.

“The NEC exists to ensure fair and transparent elections, yet it allowed voters to be turned away on Election Day due to a lack of ballot papers. This goes far beyond poor preparation and is a dereliction of duty,” said Rep. Jung Hee-yong, head of the PPP's election campaign committee.

Rep. Song Eon-seog, co-chair of the PPP's joint campaign committee, said the party would launch an investigation into the incident immediately after the election and pursue accountability.

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) also called for a swift resolution. Rep. Lee Yeon-hee, head of the DPK's central campaign situation room, urged the NEC to resolve the issue promptly.

Source: Korea Times News