Legislation Sought to Allow Koreans Overseas to Vote by Mail

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Thu, November 30, 2023 | 07:19

Legislation Sought to Allow Koreans Overseas to Vote by Mail

Posted : 2010-01-07 17:34

Updated : 2010-01-07 17:34

The governing Grand National Party (GNP) is seeking to pass legislation that would allow Korean nationals abroad to vote by mail, and increase the number of polling stations overseas.

Rep. An Kyung-ryul
Chairman of GNP’s Special
Committee on Overseas Koreans

By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff Reporter

The governing Grand National Party (GNP) is seeking to pass legislation that would allow Korean nationals abroad to vote by mail, and increase the number of polling stations overseas.

"The GNP will seek early parliamentary endorsement of a bill," Rep. An Kyung-ryul, chairman of the party's special committee on overseas Koreans, said in an interview with The Korea Times, Thursday.

"The measure should pass the National Assembly this year as a considerable amount of time and preparation will be needed in order to implement the new system ahead of the presidential and general elections in 2012."

The three-term lawmaker was elected last October as head of the committee, which is composed of 113 GNP legislators.

His remarks came after the National Election Commission (NEC) said the two elections, slated for April and December 2012, may turn into "disasters" if a major change in the overseas absentee voting procedure is made directly before the elections.

An said the Assembly failed to come up with specific measures to address difficulties overseas Koreans could face in voting when it endorsed suffrage for them last February.

"Under the current law, a large number of overseas Koreans will have to travel hundreds of kilometers twice for each election ― once for registration, and then again to vote," An said.

The current system recognizes only 166 diplomatic centers in 110 countries as polling stations.

An said that without a change in the law, the majority of overseas Koreans will have to travel several hours ― with some even crossing borders ― to cast ballots.

As a solution, the GNP legislator proposed last December a bill that would extend the registration period by up to a year, allow them to vote by mail and set up additional polling stations.

Under the current law, potential overseas voters must register 60-150 days ahead of voting and are obliged to travel to polling stations to cast their ballots.

The NEC proposed the postal voting system to policy makers between 2003 and 2006, but its recommendations were repeatedly rejected by legislators.

They argued that illegal electioneering would be rampant as such offenders could easily avoid Korean election laws.

However, An disagrees with this argument, saying that hardly any cases of illegal campaigning have been reported in countries that have introduced such a voting system.

"I have yet to hear about any disputes over postal voting in the 20 OECD member countries that have adopted the system, including the United States, Britain, Germany and Japan," An said.

The GNP's move is expected to encounter strong resistance from the main opposition Democratic Party (DP).

Headed by Kim Sung-gon, who proposed the introduction of both postal voting and online voting for overseas Koreans in late 2006, the DP also launched a committee aiming to strengthen ties with overseas Koreans last December.

Kim has reportedly shifted his stance because the GNP, which has a stronger overseas support base, is widely expected to sweep the votes of Koreans abroad.

leeth@koreatimes.co.kr