Slow pace seen at polling stations in Seoul reflects low voter turnout

A voter inserts ballots into a box at a polling station in Hongeun-dong, Seodaemun District, northwestern Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Lee Hyo-jin

The local elections on June 1 were marked by clear skies and warm weather, which apparently created a perfect environment for many people to bypass the polling stations and head outdoors for picnics instead. In fact, the weather may have been one of the culprits behind the low voter turnout.

Voters began to trickle into a polling station in Hongeun-dong, Seodaemun District, northwestern Seoul, at around 10 a.m. But the pace did not pick up as the morning progressed, with only a few voters being seen. And those who showed up in the morning hours to exercise their right were mostly elderly voters.

Among the total 270,219 eligible voters in the district, 59,095 ― or 21.75 percent ― already voted during the two-day early voting period which took place last weekend, according to the National Election Commission (NEC).

"It was a little crowded early in the morning, but compared to the March 9 presidential election, it hasn't been a busy day for us so far," a poll worker said.

In the fourth nationwide election held during the COVID-19 pandemic, mask-wearing voters appeared to have become used to standing at marked places, keeping a distance from others.

Unlike the presidential election earlier this year, Wednesday's election was held under far more relaxed antivirus measures. Poll workers were not wearing protective gear such as face shields or protective glasses, while plastic gloves and hand sanitizer were no longer mandatory for the voters.

The voters were given seven paper ballots each, and the voting procedure was divided into two stages.

They first received three ballots for Seoul mayor, Seodaemun District head and Seoul education superintendent.

After placing their votes in a ballot box, they each received four more ballots for Seoul Metropolitan Council member and Seodaemun District Council member, along with two proportional representatives for each council.

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A voter inserts ballots into a box at a polling station in Seodaemun District, Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

The outcomes of the local elections, held three weeks after the launch of the Yoon administration, are widely expected to be a bellwether of Yoon's early presidency, showing the public's opinion of the new government.

Voters leaving polling stations voiced mixed opinions on whether the conservative ruling People Power Party (PPP) should grab more seats in local governments to boost Yoon's policy implementations, or the opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) should emerge victorious to better scrutinize the incumbent government.

"To be honest, my wife and I aren't deeply interested in politics. But seeing how the new government has been showing a lack of communication with the public, we felt the need to turn out and support the liberal bloc to achieve a balance in political power," said a 40-something man surnamed Kim, who came to vote with his spouse.

Some voters hoped for the PPP's win, which would provide valuable momentum for the Yoon administration to pursue its policy goals.

"The PPP should take up a majority of local government seats to ensure that the government can carry out its policies smoothly to revive the economy. Things have been so tough for the past couple of years due to the pandemic," a self-employed man said on condition of anonymity.

People fill out their ballots in voting booths at a polling station in Hongeun-dong, Seodaemun District, northwestern Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

For some, the March 9 presidential election, in which Yoon won by just 0.73 percentage point, the narrowest margin in the country's history, was a bittersweet lesson on the importance of voting.

"The tight race in the presidential election made me realize that every vote counts. I think voting is one of the most important rights and responsibilities for the people living in a democratic society," said a woman in her 50s surnamed Choi.

"Regardless of who wins in today's elections, I hope local government officials would focus more on issues that are closely related to our daily lives, such as ensuring a safe environment at night and keeping the streets clean."

Meanwhile, some voters found it tricky to cast ballots for education superintendents. In order to guarantee political neutrality in education, candidates running for heads of regional education offices are not nominated by political parties, nor can they display their political inclinations during election campaigns.

"Before I came to the polling site, I already had in mind who to vote for based on their political parties," a woman in her 70s said on condition of anonymity. "So I couldn't decide who to pick among the education superintendent candidates. Frankly speaking, I don't even know who they are or what their campaign pledges are."

General voting was conducted at 14,465 voting stations across the country from 6 a.m through 6 p.m., while alternative arrangements were put in place from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for COVID-19 patients and people under self-isolation.