Assembly passes bill allowing COVID-19 patients to vote after regular polling closes
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The National Assembly passed a bill Monday to allow COVID-19 patients and people in quarantine to vote from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. after regular polling closes on the day of the March 9 presidential election.
The revision to the Public Official Election Act was approved at a plenary session.
In order to cast their ballots, virus patients and quarantined people need to get temporary leave permits from the health authorities.
The move came following concerns that the ongoing virus situation could affect hundreds of thousands of people in the upcoming election as there had been no rules to guarantee that those who test positive for COVID-19 after the early voting period, March 4 and 5, and people who go into self-isolation just before the presidential election could cast their votes. (Yonhap)