National Election Commission Makes Overseas Absentee Ballot Proposal

The National Election Commission (NEC) (chairperson: Yu Ji-dam) submitted a revision proposal concerning political relationship law with the aim of greatly expanding the eligibility of absentee ballots and introducing the overseas absentee ballot system yesterday.

The revision opinion laid out that voters who are not able to vote on election days for either professional or business reasons can cast absentee ballots if they go through a confirmation process. The NEC estimates that the current average of about 900,000 absentee votes will increase to more than two million if the proposal is legislated.

In addition, the NEC also submitted an opinion to let diplomats, overseas students and corporate residents who have resident registration in Korea but who are staying abroad temporarily cast absentee votes in the presidential and National Assembly proportional representation elections.

The NEC also suggested limiting the annual party fund of party members to 60 million won so as to preclude "public nomination by donation."

In addition, the NEC submitted the following proposals: lowering the election eligibility age from the current 20 to 19; permitting the families and election administrators of candidates to wear shoulder bands; deleting the provision limiting the number of electioneers when campaigning on the street (six maximum); and allowing less than 10 hanging banners for election campaigning in each village.

Myoung-Gun Lee gun43@donga.com