NEC Claims 'Unnumbered Ballot' Use Was 'Unavoidable' Due to Legislative Gaps

The National Election Commission (NEC) has, for the first time, refuted allegations that its use of "unnumbered ballots" and the manual entry of serial numbers on election day, June 3, violated the Public Official Election Act.
According to documents submitted by the NEC to the office of People Power Party lawmaker Kim Eun-hye, the commission responded to criticisms regarding a potential violation of Article 151, Paragraph 1 of the Public Official Election Act—which mandates that ballots must be delivered by the day before the election—by stating that "additional ballots" do not fall under this provision.
The NEC stated, "The Public Official Election Act does not contain separate regulations regarding the transport and procedures for the additional distribution of ballots in cases of shortages," adding that "the additional ballots were distributed in accordance with the 'Election Procedure Manual'."
The commission further countered, "Under Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the Public Official Election Act, the state is required to take necessary measures to ensure that voters can exercise their right to vote. Therefore, interpreting Article 151, Paragraph 1 as a provision that prohibits additional distribution does not align with the legislative intent."
The NEC also argued that the manual entry of serial numbers on additional ballots used on election day was not problematic.
In response to criticisms that this violated Article 151, Paragraph 10 of the Public Official Election Act, which states that serial numbers on ballots "must be printed," the commission replied, "Article 100, Paragraph 2 of the Regulations on Election Office Management stipulates that, notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph 1 of the same article, even if a ballot lacks certain requirements, it shall be considered a valid ballot if it is determined by the election manager to have been properly issued to a voter based on other materials, such as the voting record."
It further stated, "Even if the serial number was entered manually, if the ballot bears the official seal of the competent committee and the stamp of the election manager, and is determined to have been properly issued, it can be considered a valid ballot."
The NEC added, "The distribution of unnumbered ballots with manually entered serial numbers was an unavoidable measure to guarantee the voting rights of electors in the absence of detailed regulations."
When a ballot shortage occurred on the day of the election, the NEC sent approximately 24,000 additional ballots to polling stations.
Of these, about 17,000—roughly 70%—were unnumbered ballots without pre-printed serial numbers.

Lawmaker Kim Eun-hye criticized the move, stating, "It is the height of shamelessness for the NEC, which caused this disaster through guidelines that reduced the number of ballots without principles or standards, to shift the responsibility onto legislative gaps." She added, "The true nature of the 'three-no' NEC—characterized by incompetence, complacency, and now irresponsibility—has been revealed."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.