Ballot shortages prompt voting to halt at some polling stations in Songpa District

“Voting in Wednesday's local elections was temporarily suspended at some polling stations in Songpa District, southern Seoul, due to a shortage of ballot papers, according to election officials. A shortage of ballots began at 1 p.m. at some polling stations in Jamsil of Songpa District, forcing voters to wait well past 6 p.m., the official closing time for voting. Marking an unprecedented mishap, voting had been halted at the polling stations as of 4:30 p.m. Many voters were seen leaving the polling stations after a long wait, while some lodged strong protests at the scene. At least five polling stations in the district suffered a shortage of ballots, according to reports. The National Election Commission (NEC) said the local election office in Songpa District was in the process of delivering additional ballots to the affected polling stations. "Voters in line are able to cast their ballots even after the official closing time, so we hope there will be no misunderstanding that they cannot cast their vote because of a shortage of ballot papers," the NEC said.

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