Election watchdog chief apologizes for early voting blunders, vows not to repeat
National Election Commission Chairperson Noh Jeong-hee speaks during a press conference at the election overseer's headquarters in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, March 8. Yonhap
The chief of the National Election Commission (NEC) apologized Tuesday for the “mishandling” of ballots of COVID-19 patients and other alleged blunders during last week's early voting, pledging to make sure no such mishaps will happen in Wednesday's election.
"As chairperson, I feel responsible for causing confusion and inconvenience due to poor preparation," NEC Chairperson Noh Jeong-hee said at a press conference in Gwacheon, south of Seoul. "The NEC has turned over a new leaf and has prepared thoroughly so that every person can exercise their voting rights without any inconvenience."
The commission came under fire following revelations that COVID-19 patients and people under self-isolation were not allowed to put their votes into ballot boxes; instead election officials collected them in plastic bags and other unofficial containers during early voting Saturday.
The behavior sparked suspicions of election rigging, though the NEC flatly rejected these.
In the wake of criticism, the NEC on Monday decided that COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine must put their votes into ballot boxes themselves the same way as other voters in the March 9 election after regular polling closes.
"We have double-checked our measures to guarantee the voting rights of virus patients and people in quarantine," she said. "The NEC cares about each vote that contains the people's wishes and will manage voting and ballot counting accurately and transparently."
The NEC said 14,464 polling stations will be opened for Wednesday's election, up 500 from the previous presidential election in 2017. (Yonhap)