Busan's early voting rate of 21.29% ranks among the lowest nationwide

Analysts say opposition backlash could drive up turnout on election day

President Lee Jae-myung consults with an election official about a stamp mark on his ballot at a community center in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on May 29, the first day of early voting for the June 3 local elections. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae-myung consults with an election official about a stamp mark on his ballot at a community center in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on May 29, the first day of early voting for the June 3 local elections. [Yonhap]

A controversy over President Lee Jae-myung carrying his marked ballot outside a voting booth to ask an election official whether it was valid is sending ripples through the Busan election, as the city's early voting rate ranked 15th out of 17 cities and provinces nationwide.

Park Heong-joon, the People Power Party candidate for Busan mayor, said May 30 that Lee's act amounted to "a king voting above the law," calling it "a brazen attempt to rally his base by publicly displaying his marked ballot on live television." Han Dong-hoon, an independent candidate in the National Assembly by-election for Busan's Buk-gu A district, warned May 29 that the incident was "a clear violation of election law" and said he would watch with Buk-gu residents to see whether the National Election Commission applied a fair standard.

The National Election Commission ruled Lee's action valid, saying it is permissible for a voter to step outside a booth and ask an official for guidance if a stamp mark has not been properly applied, then return to complete the ballot. The commission said an official immediately intervened and that the ballot's contents were not confirmed, so it could not be considered a publicly disclosed ballot.

The People Power Party rejected that ruling and filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency alleging that Lee violated the Public Official Election Act and that election officials committed dereliction of duty and abetted an election law violation. The party cited Article 167, Paragraph 3 of the act, which states that a voter may not disclose a marked ballot and that any disclosed ballot shall be invalidated.

Busan's early voting rate stood at 21.29%, below the national average of 23.51% and among the lowest in the country, trailing only Daegu at 18.65% and Gyeonggi Province at 20.96%. A local election analyst said the ballot controversy and social media posts urging voter turnout could amplify resentment among opposition supporters and push up participation on election day. The incident has emerged as a potential wild card in the Busan race.


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com