Nation heads to polls to select local gov't chiefs, councilors

“Koreans will head to polling stations to select their local government chiefs and council members as voting for the ninth local elections begins Wednesday. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 14,288 locations nationwide. Voters will elect 16 metropolitan city mayors and provincial governors, 227 local government heads, 3,973 local council members and 16 education superintendents. By-elections for 14 National Assembly seats will also be held alongside the local polls. Vote counting will begin immediately after polls close. Record early voting turnout has raised expectations for higher overall participation. According to the National Election Commission, 10.49 million voters already cast ballots during the two-day early voting period held Friday and Saturday, resulting in a turnout of 23.51 percent. The figure surpassed the 2022 local elections' early voting turnout rate of 20.62 percent. The highest voter turnout in local elections was 68.4 percent, in the inaugural elections held in 1995, while the lowest was 48.9 percent in 2002. The most recent local elections in 2022 recorded a turn

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