= Preliminary candidate registration for Seoul and Busan Mayoral by-elections to begin on December 8 =

= NEC Secretary General Kim Sehwan said ‘ahead of the Presidential and local elections in 2022, flawless election management is needed to match the high public interest in the elections.’ =

The National Election Commission (NEC) of the Republic of Korea announced that it held a meeting on November 30 on measures for the re and by-elections to be held on April 7 next year. The meeting was held to discuss key election management policies one week before the start of preliminary candidate registration for the Seoul and Busan Mayoral by-elections (December 8). In addition to NEC Secretary General Kim Sehwan, the Secretary Generals of the Si/Do election commissions where the re and by-elections will take place also attended the meeting.

In his opening remarks Secretary General Kim Se hwan said “ahead of the Presidential and local elections in 2022, flawless election management is needed to match the high public interest in the elections as well as the fact that the election lawsuits regarding the 21st National Assembly elections are still in progress.“ He also emphasized that “in preparation for the continued spread of the COVID-19, it is necessary to prepare more systematic disinfection measures based on the experiences from the last election to ensure the voter suffrage as much as possible.“

Above all, the NEC plans to dispel groundless suspicions raised so far through accurate and transparent election management. It announced that it will take a closer look at the election management procedures and methods, prepare supplementary response measures, enhance professionalism by strengthening education for polling and counting staff, and allow voters to observe the process as much as possible.
 
Voting convenience for the socially weak is also expanding. The polling station will be secured on the first floor as much as possible, and special attention will be paid to providing transportation for people who have impaired mobility and for smooth voting for the disabled and pregnant women.

The NEC will prepare for the continued spread of COVID-19 by further strengthening disinfection measures at polling stations and counting centers. Those with confirmed cases of COVID-19 can register for home voting, and the NEC plans to consult with related organizations to set up early voting polling stations in care centers and separate voting times and locations on election day between voters in self-quarantine and general voters. 

In addition, the NEC will actively provide information on the disinfection guidelines so voters can cast their ballot with confidence. Also the NEC said it will continuously provide information on the elections through the NEC’s e-TV and on the NEC’s homepage and SNS channels and will increase voters’ interest in the election through various non face-to-face PR methods. 

Meanwhile the NEC has made it clear that it will firmly deal with any issue that causes an overheated election atmosphere and damages the elections themselves. The NEC announced that significant election crimes, such as bribery or illegal donations or proliferation of false information to the public will be strictly dealt by the investigation teams and cyber violations of election law that distort the ability of voters to make a judgement will be prevented early by strengthening monitoring and taking prompt action.

An official from the NEC said “starting with the registration of preliminary candidates for the Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections, we will enter into a fully-fledged election management process, and we will do our best to manage the elections in a manner the people can trust."
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