Early voters weigh competence, daily concerns as local election voting begins

Long lines formed at early voting stations in Seoul’s business districts Friday as office workers stopped by polling places near their workplaces, offering an early glimpse into the issues shaping voter sentiment ahead of next week’s local elections. Early voting for the June 3 local elections and parliamentary by-elections began Friday at 3,571 polling stations nationwide. Nationwide early voting turnout reached 10.39 percent as of 5 p.m. Friday, nearly 1 percentage point higher than at the same point during the 2022 local elections. Voters lined up from morning at an early voting station in Sogong-dong, central Seoul, as people turned out to cast their ballots on the first day of early voting. At around 10:30 a.m., long lines formed at the early voting station. The line for out-of-district voters was noticeably longer than that for local residents. Located on the fifth floor of the building, the polling station drew a steady stream of voters, with elevators arriving packed with people. Voters waited in line for elevators both on their way to the polling station and after casting their b