Tentative overseas voter turnout for June 3 presidential election at record high of 79.5%

A voter casts a ballot at the overseas polling station set up at the Korean Embassy in Beijing, China, May 20, the first day of overseas voting for the June 3 presidential election. Yonhap

The preliminary overseas voter turnout for the June 3 presidential election has reached a record high of 79.5 percent, the election watchdog said Monday.

Of an estimated 1.97 million eligible overseas voters, 205,268 out of 258,254 people registered on the voter roll cast their ballots during the six-day overseas voting period that began last Tuesday, the National Election Commission said.

That tentatively represents a voter turnout of 79.5 percent, the highest since the country adopted absentee voting for presidential and general elections in 2012.

Overseas voting took place from May 20 to 25 at 223 polling stations across 118 countries.

The turnout rates for the past three presidential elections were 71.1 percent in 2012, 75.3 percent in 2017 and 71.6 percent in 2022. The highest turnout for general elections was recorded last year at 62.8 percent.

Sealed ballots will be transported to South Korea via diplomatic pouches. The votes are verified in the presence of observers recommended by political parties and then forwarded by registered mail to the respective local election commissions.

The ballots will be counted together with domestic votes on Election Day. Ballot counting can take place at embassies in case of natural disasters, war or other unavoidable circumstances.