On the 3rd, the day of in-person voting for the 9th nationwide local elections (the 6·3 local elections), citizens line up to vote at Polling Station No. 2 in Noryangjin 1-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, at 6:15 a.m. /Courtesy of Lim Hee-jae

At 5:55 a.m. on the 3rd, the day of in-person voting for the 9th nationwide local elections (the June 3 local elections). In front of Noryangjin 1-dong No. 2 polling place in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, 15 people were standing in line. It was before the 6 a.m. start, but they were citizens who had come to the polling place early. Neighbors who met at the polling place greeted each other, saying, "You came early," "Thanks for coming out in the morning."

A person surnamed Lee (53) who came to the polling place said, "I'm voting in-person because I did a part-time job as an observer on the early voting days," and added, "Voting is something we should of course do, so I came early."

Turnout in the June 3 local elections is showing a higher level than in past local elections. Early voting, held over two days from the 29th of last month, reached 23.51%, a record high among local elections. As of 8 a.m. on the in-person voting day, turnout was 4.5%, 0.7 percentage points higher than in the 2022 local elections.

On the 3rd, at the Ichon 1-dong Community Center polling place in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, citizens stand in line to vote for the 9th nationwide local elections (the 6·3 local elections). /Courtesy of Yonhap News

◇"Turnout alone is meaningful"… bustling polling places

Those who came to the polls early in the morning expressed expectations for the economic policies put forward by the candidates. A graduate student, a person surnamed Kim (28), whom we met at Haengdang 1-dong No. 1 polling place, said, "There's a good chance I'll enter the job market next year, so I focused a lot on economic policy," adding, "A candidate who emphasized jobs and youth dwellings caught my eye."

A person surnamed Jeong (68), who has lived in Haengdang-dong for 20 years, emphasized real estate policy. Jeong said, "Redevelopment has been continuously pushed in this area, and I thought it would be better to have a candidate who can see it through well, so I came out to vote."

Some citizens said they turned out because voting itself is meaningful. A graduate student, a person surnamed Yeom (29), said, "Regardless of the result, turnout by age group is also an important indicator, so I came to the polling place." The point was that political parties and politicians would pay less attention to age groups with low turnout.

A person surnamed Kim (34), who came with a friend to Sangdo 4-dong No. 1 and No. 2 polling places in Dongjak-gu, also said, "I don't think the world will change with a single election, but I believe we must vote, if only to keep things from getting worse."

On the morning of the 3rd, as the 9th nationwide local elections and the National Assembly by-elections begin, voters wait in line before polls open to cast their ballots at a polling place set up at the Sangdo 4-dong Community Center in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. /Courtesy of News1

◇"Designated polling place" requires ID to vote

Unlike early voting, on in-person voting day you must go to the polling place designated for your resident registration address, but some citizens got this mixed up.

At about 6:15 a.m. at Jegi-dong No. 3 polling place in Dongdaemun-gu, when a guide asked, "Did you check your polling place?" a voter in their 70s replied, "I'm a neighborhood resident, what is there to check?" A search with the resident registration number showed the designated polling place was Jegi-dong No. 2, about a five-minute walk away. The polling place guide said, "About five people came to the wrong polling place," adding, "Most were older adults."

You can check your polling place on the voting notice delivered to your home or on the city, county, or district office website, or the National Election Commission website. Also, when you come to vote, you must bring a photo ID such as a resident registration card, driver's license, or passport.

On the morning of the 3rd, the day of in-person voting for the 9th nationwide local elections (the 6·3 local elections), citizens wait to vote at Polling Station No. 1 in Haengdang 1-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. /Courtesy of Kang Jeong-a

◇Voters in their 20s and 30s turn to social media instead of pamphlets

At polling places in Seoul, voters receive a total of seven ballots: Seoul mayor, Seoul superintendent of education, district mayor, district-based city council member, proportional city council member, district-based district council member, and proportional district council member.

Although many planned to vote, quite a few citizens said they could not review all the pamphlets. A person surnamed Park (66), who finished voting at Cheongunhyoja-dong No. 3 polling place in Jongno-gu, said, "I carefully checked only things like criminal records or military service," adding, "I picked the mayor by the person, but for city and district council members I voted by party."

A person surnamed Lee (53), who came to Noryangjin 1-dong No. 2 polling place, said, "I did look at the pamphlets, but there were just too many," adding, "I was seeing the city and district council candidates for the first time, so I focused mainly on their experience."

Voters in their 20s and 30s said they got more candidate information through social media (SNS) than through election pamphlets. However, since competition for promotion through each candidate's SNS account was intense, quite a few said it was hard to trust.

A person surnamed Kim (27), whom we met at Noryangjin 1-dong No. 5 polling place, said, "I also made sure to watch the Seoul mayoral debate, and I watched videos edited into YouTube Shorts," adding, "They all just cut and uploaded only the parts where they did well."

A civil servant, a person surnamed Kim (32), also said, "In the videos posted on SNS, everyone looks like they won the debate," adding, "It looked like information lacking in objectivity."

※ This article has been translated by AI. Share your feedback here.