Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission [Yonhap News file photo]A joint investigation team of prosecutors and police, formed to uncover the truth behind the "ballot paper shortage" in the June 3 local elections, has successively summoned nine individuals, including ballot printing contractors and officials from local election commissions.

According to legal circles on the 7th, the joint investigation team has summoned a printer, who held a contract with the election commission for ballot production, as a witness for questioning today.

The joint investigation team plans to question the printer regarding the overall process of contracting with the election commission and the actual supply of the ballots.

Previously, it was pointed out that since local election commissions entered into printing contracts via private tender, printing costs varied by region and some commissions omitted relevant documentation.

The joint investigation team also plans to summon officials from the Songpa-gu and Gangnam-gu election commissions to determine how ballots were prepared and how the situation was managed on election day.

Officials from the Gwanak, Seodaemun, Gangseo, Jungnang, and Mapo district election commissions have also been summoned as witnesses.

These election commissions did not experience a ballot shortage, as they increased their printing ratio to over 50%.

The joint investigation team intends to identify the decision-making process by which these commissions decided to increase the printing volume and will compare and analyze the differences between them and the commissions that faced shortages.

The joint investigation team also summoned an official from the Seocho-gu election commission as a witness today to understand the process by which the 50% minimum printing threshold was determined.