June 1 Coverage Early Voting Begins at 586 Polling Stations Across Gyeonggi Province, Including 44 in Suwon

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] On June 27, early voting for the 8th Local Elections and Special By-election for National Assembly Representatives began, marking the start of voters' choices.

This early voting, held over two days through June 28, is conducted at 586 polling stations across Gyeonggi Province, including 44 in Suwon Metropolitan City.

Nationwide, early voting is taking place at a total of 3,551 polling stations to elect local officials who will serve for four years.

Through early voting and the main election on June 1, voters in Suwon and Gyeonggi Province will elect 1 provincial governor, 1 provincial superintendent of education for Gyeonggi Province, and 31 heads of local governments across 31 cities and counties.

Voters will also select 652 officials including 141 district representatives to the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly, 406 district representatives to municipal and county assemblies, 15 proportional representatives to the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly, and 57 proportional representatives to municipal and county assemblies.

Simultaneously, voters will elect 1 National Assembly representative for Bundang-Gap District in Seongnam City, a vacant seat created by the incumbent Gyeonggi Province governor's candidacy.

Most early voting locations this election are the same as those used in the previous presidential election.

However, due to reasons such as inconvenient access to polling facilities and unavailability due to work or business operations, the early polling station in Youngtong 2-dong, Suwon has been relocated to the third floor of the Welfare Center. Additionally, 21 polling stations in 15 cities across the province have been changed.

Polling locations can be found on the Central Election Commission website (www.nec.go.kr), where voters can search for the location nearest to them.

General voters can vote from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. by bringing identification and going to the nearest early polling station.

Voters must bring government-issued photo identification such as a resident registration card, youth certificate, passport, or driver's license (including mobile ID).

Voters participating in early voting receive 7 ballots at once.

Voters in the Bundang-Gap District of Seongnam City, where a special by-election is being held simultaneously, receive 1 additional ballot for a total of 8.

COVID-19 confirmed voters must conduct separate early voting.

The time for this is from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on June 28, for a duration of 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, one day before early voting on June 26, candidates running in the June 1 local elections made an all-out effort to secure even a single vote.

Candidates for Suwon mayor, showing a tight race, also made all-out efforts across various parts of the city on this day, one day before early voting, encouraging early voting participation and appealing for support.

Lee Jae-jun, the Democratic Party candidate, completed his vote with his wife Lee Ji-young at an early polling station set up on the third floor of the Suwon City Hall Annex on the morning of the first day.

Kim Yong-nam, the People Power Party candidate, also voted at the Suwon City Hall Annex early polling station on the morning of June 27.

Meanwhile, Kim Dong-yeon, the Democratic Party candidate for Gyeonggi Province governor, voted at the Suwon Gwanggyo 1-dong Administrative Welfare Center with his spouse Jung Woo-young on the morning of June 27, and Kim Eun-hye, the People Power Party candidate for governor, also voted at the Seongnam Unjoong-dong Administrative Welfare Center on the first day of early voting.