People Power Party to File Election Petitions in 9 Regions: Assessing the Likelihood of Re-elections

[Anchor]

The People Power Party is set to file election petitions tomorrow, June 17, regarding local elections in nine cities and provinces across the country, citing issues such as voting disruptions. However, as re-elections require proof of violations of election management regulations and evidence that such facts influenced the final results, the prevailing view is that the possibility of re-elections is low.

Reporter Kim Kwan-jin reports.

[Reporter]

The People Power Party has identified nine cities and provinces for its election petitions: Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Busan, Ulsan, Gwangju, North Chungcheong Province, Daegu, and South Gyeongsang Province.

While the party announced six regions yesterday, it added North Chungcheong, Daegu, and South Gyeongsang today.

The party claims that the voting rights of citizens were infringed upon in eight cities and provinces, including Seoul, due to shortages of ballots and delays in voting.

Separately, in the case of North Chungcheong Province, the party alleges that an electoral register was omitted at a polling station in Cheongju.

According to data from the National Election Commission, there were five cities and provinces where voting was suspended on the 3rd.

Voting was halted at 26 polling stations nationwide, with Seoul accounting for the highest number at 22, followed by one each in Gyeonggi, Incheon, Daegu, and Busan.

However, the People Power Party also included Ulsan, Gwangju, North Chungcheong, and South Gyeongsang in its petitions, even though 'voting suspension' was not officially recorded in those areas.

Election petitions can be filed by voters in the relevant regions, political parties like the People Power Party, or the candidates themselves.

The National Election Commission must reach a decision on the petitions within 60 days.

If an election is declared null and void, a re-election must be held within 30 days.

On the other hand, if a petition is dismissed or rejected, the party can file an election nullification lawsuit within 10 days to challenge the decision.

Then, what criteria are used to determine whether a re-election will be held following a petition?

Article 224 of the Public Official Election Act stipulates that an election can be declared null and void, in whole or in part, only when there is a proven violation of election regulations and it is recognized that such a violation affected the election results.

In other words, even if there were violations, a re-election will not be ordered if the outcome would not have changed.

Furthermore, the National Election Commission stated immediately after the incidents that they did not constitute grounds for a re-election.

This is why many observers believe it is unlikely that the commission will decide to hold re-elections for the gubernatorial or mayoral races.

However, some analysts suggest that the decision could differ for elections involving heads of local governments or local council members, where the vote margins are significantly smaller.

(Video Editing: Wi Won-yang, Design: Park Cheon-woong, Jeon Yu-geun)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.