Seoul: A joint team of police investigators and prosecutors is poised to question officials from the National Election Commission (NEC) regarding the shortage of ballot papers during the June 3 local elections, legal sources disclosed on Sunday. This development follows significant criticism directed at the NEC after voting was temporarily suspended at 26 polling stations, primarily in Seoul, due to the shortages.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the investigative team completed a search and seizure of the NEC's servers on Saturday. This action aimed to secure internal messages and other records as part of an ongoing probe into the cause of the ballot shortages. The investigation will soon involve questioning front-line NEC officials stationed in the affected areas, with plans to summon senior officials, including the former NEC chief who resigned amid the controversy.
The investigation is scrutinizing whether NEC officials improperly influenced the printing of ballot papers and their response to the shortages. Under current election law, civil servants are prohibited from using their positions to exert undue influence during elections. As part of the probe, the investigative team raided seven locations, including the NEC's headquarters, last Thursday.