Ballot-paper shortages forced multiple polling stations across South Korea to halt voting during the local elections held on June 3, 2024 [1, 2].
These disruptions raise concerns about the administrative readiness of the Central Election Commission and the potential for voter disenfranchisement in high-turnout districts.
According to reports from the Central Election Commission and People Power Party lawmaker Kim Min-jeon, voting was stopped at 26 polling stations [1, 2]. The total combined stoppage time across these affected sites exceeded 10 hours, or more than 600 minutes [1].
Specifically, the combined stoppage time for the 26 stations that required emergency ballot deliveries reached 638 minutes [1]. A total of 91 polling stations received additional ballot papers to meet demand [1].
Local disruptions varied by region. At the Seoul Songpa-gu Jamshil-2-dong 2nd polling station, voting stopped for 105 minutes [1]. The Seoul Garak-2-dong 3rd polling station experienced two separate incidents totaling 97 minutes of downtime [1]. In Gyeonggi province, the Gimpo-si Pungmu-dong 12th polling station saw a 21-minute halt [1].
Other affected areas included Incheon Yeonsu-gu, Busan Buk-gu, and Daejeon Dong-gu [1, 2]. Election officials had to ship additional papers to these locations to resume the process.
Lawmaker Kim Min-jeon said the logistical gap left voters waiting and disrupted the flow of the 6·3 local elections [1, 2].
“Voting was stopped at 26 polling stations”
The failure to provide sufficient ballot papers suggests a significant miscalculation in voter turnout projections by the Central Election Commission. When voting halts for hours in specific districts, it can lead to legal challenges regarding election integrity and may suppress turnout if voters are unable to return to the polls after a disruption.
