= Home voting registrations should be completed during the period from March 24 to 28 =

The National Election Commission (NEC) of the Republic of Korea said voters who have been confirmed as Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients and are hospitalized, in a care center or in isolation can use home voting, and are encouraged to register during the home voting registration period from March 24 to 28. 

The NEC ruled that they fall under the category of persons legislated in Article 38 (4) of the Public Official Election Act which states that “a person who has been admitted for a long time in a hospital, sanatorium or detention center” or “a person who is unable to move freely on the ground of his/her serious physical disability” is eligible for home voting. 

Home voting is a system that allows voters who cannot cast their ballot at polling stations, for example if they have any physical disability, to cast their ballot from their place of residence, including hospitals or nursing homes by mail.  

However, those who do not receive confirmation of their diagnosis before the end of the home voting registration period, or those who are diagnosed after the home voting registration period will not be eligible for home voting. 

The registration period for home voting will be from March 24 to 28. Registrations can be mailed to the head of the relevant Gu/Si/Gun government and should arrive by March 28 at 6pm. 

Whether a person will be eligible for home voting will be checked by the relevant person, for example for those in hospital by the head of the hospital and for those in a care center by the Minister of Health and Welfare. For those quarantined at home, it is expected that the head of the relevant Gu/Si/Gun government will comprehensively check the list.  

In addition, the NEC said it will provide information on how to register for home voting in cooperation with other relevant organizations and will thoroughly prepare to ensure that there is no inconvenience for voters in exercising their right to vote.