Photo : YONHAP News
The early voting rate for the June 3 local elections and by-elections has surpassed 15 percent.
According to the National Election Commission, close to six-point-87 million out of 44-point-65 million eligible voters had cast their ballots as of 11 a.m. Saturday, bringing the cumulative early voting rate since Friday to 15-point-38 percent.
The rate is one-point-73 percentage points higher than that recorded during the same period of the 2022 local elections, but lower than the 24-point-55 percent posted in last year’s presidential election.
South Jeolla Province recorded the highest early voting rate at 28-point-38 percent, while the southeastern city of Daegu posted the lowest at 12-point-05 percent. Seoul’s rate stood at 14-point-93 percent.
Early voting to select 16 metropolitan mayors and provincial governors, 16 superintendents of education, 227 local government heads and approximately four-thousand local council members will continue until 6 p.m. Saturday.
Parliamentary by-elections are also being held in 14 constituencies nationwide.
Early voting was first introduced for South Korea’s 20th National Assembly elections in 2016.