"Two Working-Level Staff Manipulated Voter Turnout Counts"... Did No One Know?

[Anchor]

The hourly voter turnout announced by the National Election Commission (NEC) on election day has a significant impact on voters' decisions to participate. However, even though two working-level employees manipulated this turnout rate, the NEC failed to even realize it. If circumstances pointing to organized intervention by higher-ups are confirmed, the investigation is likely to expand.

This is a report by Jeon Yeonnam.

[Reporter]

["SBS 2026 Choice of the People" Election Broadcast (June 3): The purple graph at the very bottom shows today's local election voter turnout.]

On election day, the NEC aggregates and announces voter turnout on an hourly basis from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

First, election clerks managing polling stations tally the number of voters by time slot and report it to the town, township, or neighborhood committee. Afterward, the local committee inputs the number of voters into the election management system, and once they notify the district/city/county committee and the National Election Commission of the current voter status, the hourly voter turnout is then disclosed to the public.

If there was an error in inputting the number of voters during this process, it must be modified after receiving approval from a superior. However, circumstances have come to light indicating that two employees, including a staff member from the Gyeonggi Election Commission and another from the National Election Commission, arbitrarily manipulated the turnout rate.

Criticism is pouring in against the NEC for having abysmal internal controls, given that voter turnout—crucial information affecting voters' participation on election day—was easily distorted by two working-level employees and publicized to the entire nation.

Had it not been for the joint investigation headquarters' probe, it is highly likely that the circumstances surrounding the NEC employees' manipulation to match numbers would never have come to light.

Future investigations by the joint headquarters are expected to focus on whether there were additional statistical manipulations and whether there was organized intervention at the NEC level.

Some predict that if connivance or intervention by higher-ups in the employees' number-matching is uncovered, or if similar manipulation circumstances are confirmed in past elections, the investigation could expand to overall voter turnout statistics from previous elections.

(Photo courtesy of SBS / Video reporting: Lee Sang-hak, Kang Si-woo / Video editing: Ahn Yeo-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.