NEC Claims 'No-Number Ballot' Use Was 'Inevitable' Due to Legislative Gaps

The National Election Commission (NEC) has for the first time refuted allegations that the use of "ballots without serial numbers" 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 concerns that it violated 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 provisions regarding the transfer and procedures for the additional distribution of ballots in cases of shortages," adding that "additional ballots were distributed in accordance with the 'Election Procedure Manual'."
The commission further countered, "According to Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the Public Official Election Act, the state must take necessary measures to ensure that voters can exercise their right to vote. 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 allegations that this violated Article 150, Paragraph 10 of the Public Official Election Act, which requires that serial numbers "must be printed" on ballots, the NEC stated, "Article 100, Paragraph 2 of the Regulations on the Management of Election Affairs 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 the voter based on other materials, such as the voting record."
It continued, "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 judged to have been properly issued, it can be considered a valid ballot."
The NEC added, "The distribution of ballots with manually entered serial numbers in the absence of detailed regulations was an inevitable measure to guarantee the voting rights of electors."
When a shortage of ballots occurred on election day, the NEC delivered approximately 24,000 additional ballots to polling stations.
Of these, about 17,000—roughly 70%—were 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 a disaster with its guidelines to reduce ballots without principles or standards, to shift the blame onto legislative gaps." She added, "The true nature of the 'three-no' NEC—incompetent, complacent, and now irresponsible—has been laid bare."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.