Seoul polling stations run short of ballots as June 3 turnout surges

Twelve polling stations across three southern Seoul districts and two in Incheon ran out of ballots Tuesday as unexpectedly high voter turnout overwhelmed preparations for South Korea's June 3 local elections, The Korea Times reported.

The shortages prompted a formal public apology from the National Election Commission and drew fierce criticism from ruling People Power Party lawmakers, raising questions about ballot-preparation standards at a major nationwide vote.

Ten polling stations in Songpa District, one in Gangnam District and one in Gwangjin District ran dry during voting hours, according to The Korea Times. Election officials issued queue numbers to manage lines, but some voters left before additional ballots arrived.

Two polling stations in Incheon's Yeonsu District also exhausted their supplies around 5:30 p.m., leaving some voters waiting up to 20 minutes for replenishment. Polls were scheduled to close at 6 p.m., but officials said all voters still in line were allowed to cast ballots.

NEC Secretary General Heo Cheol-hoon issued a formal apology statement. "I feel deeply responsible and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to voters who came to the polls to exercise their precious right to vote, and for undermining public trust in fair election administration," Heo said.

Rep. Jung Hee-yong, head of the PPP's election campaign committee, condemned the failure in blunt terms. "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," Jung said, according to The Korea Times. "This goes far beyond poor preparation and is a dereliction of duty."

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

The National Police Agency received 14 complaints related to ballot issues, including reports of voters being turned away. As of 9 p.m. Tuesday, the NEC had not yet provided a full count of affected stations or the number of additional ballots delivered, saying it would release details once vote counting was complete.

The NEC said it would release a complete accounting of the ballot shortages and begin a formal investigation once vote counting concluded.