Slow pace seen at polling stations reflects low turnout
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.
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.