By Yi Whan-woo
The National Election Commission (NEC) is expected to declare the winner of the presidential election around 6 a.m. Wednesday as the vote counting may take about 10 hours after voting closes at 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to officials, Monday.
This will be slower than the past two presidential elections in 2007 and 2012 when all ballot papers were counted within 24 hours after voting began at 6 a.m.
The commission will convene a meeting from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., Wednesday, to confirm and announce the election result. The successful candidate’s presidency will begin immediately after the announcement as this is a snap election.
It is uncertain whether the new president will be issued with a certificate on their election victory and also whether an informal inauguration ceremony should take place, possibly at the National Assembly,
The election watchdog attributed possible lateness of vote counting to extended voting hours, an increased number of candidates and time-consuming work in counting ballot papers that were collected from early voting from May 4 to 5. The commission said the overall voter turnout rate may surge to more than 80 percent, saying this may also add to a late counting of votes.
The voting hours, which begin at 6 a.m., were extended to 8 p.m. from 6 p.m. in the past.
The snap election has the highest number of presidential candidates at 13, meaning the vote counting machines will take longer to process ballot papers.
The average time for vote counting is estimated to be 190 votes per minute, down from 310 votes per minute.
Regarding envelopes collected from the early voting, election officials need to unseal each of them by hand, take out the ballot paper inside and put them into counting machines.
This is the first early voting in presidential election history. And more than one out of four eligible voters cast a ballot between May 4 and 5.
Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is expected to tender his resignation right after the new president is confirmed.
The new president may accept Hwang’s resignation or may ask him to remain in his job until new Cabinet members are chosen.
Meanwhile, former President Park Geun-hye’s chief of staff Han Kwang-ok and her eight senior secretaries tendered their resignation, Monday, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
“It is right for presidential secretaries to vacate their seats early before a new president is confirmed,” a Cheong Wa Dae official said.