COVID-19 patients allowed to use official polling stations in June 1 elections
A COVID-19 patient receives a ballot for the March 9 presidential election at a local polling station in Daegu, March 5. COVID-19 patients will be able to vote in the June 1 local elections and National Assembly by-elections at the same polling stations as uninfected voters. Yonhap
COVID-19 patients will be able to vote in the June 1 local elections and National Assembly by-elections at the same polling stations as uninfected voters after the regular voting session is over, the state election watchdog said Friday.
The patients will be allowed to vote between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on election day and between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on the second day of early voting May 28 at official polling stations, after getting temporary leave permits from the health authorities, according to the National Election Commission.
Virus patients will not be allowed to vote on the first day of early voting.
In the March 9 presidential election, virus patients were only allowed to use the official polling stations on election day and had to cast their ballots at separate stations during the early voting period.
The change was made to take into account criticism that ballot boxes at polling stations for patients were mishandled during the presidential election.
A total of 17 posts for metropolitan mayors and provincial governors, 226 heads of lower-level administrative units and 779 seats in provincial and metropolitan councils, as well as seven Assembly seats are up for grabs in the upcoming elections. (Yonhap)