Verification of Ballots at Olympic Park Halfway Complete After 7 Hours
The National Election Commission's special investigation team, led by Lee Tae-han, was conducting a public verification of some 2.47 million ballots from the June 3 local elections at the Olympic Park handball stadium in Songpa District, Seoul, on the 28th. As of 7:10 p.m., the process had been underway for seven hours, with about half of the ballots checked. Attention is focused on whether more irregular ballots will surface in the remaining half.
The verification involves checking the quantity and printing condition of the stored ballots and confirming that the machines used to sort them show no signs of hacking. With observers watching, the special team examined the ballots for the Seoul mayoral, Songpa District mayoral, Seoul city council, and Songpa District council elections one by one, setting aside any suspected irregular ballots.
The team had originally planned to begin work around 9 a.m., but the process was delayed by about three hours after observers from the People Power Party objected to a ban on filming. Kim Min-su, the party's supreme council member, and others protested for some 30 minutes, claiming the verification was not being carried out properly. A commotion erupted when some observers attempted to take photos with their mobile phones or tried to use equipment they had brought without permission.
The count of ballots for the proportional representation Seoul city council, Songpa District council, and Seoul superintendent of education elections remains to be done. After the count, the special team will conduct additional verification of irregular ballots using optical equipment on site. Irregular ballots requiring forensic analysis will be used in the special investigation, while those found to be normal will be moved to a secure warehouse designated by the election commission.
However, some observers say they cannot trust the commission's handling of the ballots, leaving room for further complications before the verification is completed.
