People Power Party lawmaker Park Choong-kwon [Yonhap News file photo]

On the 13th, People Power Party lawmaker Park Choong-kwon proposed an amendment to the Public Official Election Act that mandates the printing of 100% of ballots to prevent a recurrence of the suffrage infringement that occurred during the June 3 local elections.

The bill stipulates that when district, city, and county election commissions prepare ballots for election day, the quantity of ballots per voting district must be set at 100% of the confirmed number of eligible voters.

In addition, to ensure the transparent management of remaining ballots, the procedure has been strengthened to require that the quantity and serial numbers of unused ballots be verified in the presence of election observers when sealing ballot boxes and related materials after voting concludes.

"Budget savings on ballots cannot take precedence over the sacred right to vote," Park emphasized. "This amendment is a 'Democracy Restoration Act' designed to prevent citizens' precious votes from being wasted due to the National Election Commission's poor administration."

Earlier this month, the National Election Commission reported an improvement plan to the National Assembly's special committee on the probe into the ballot shortage incident, stating that starting from the second half of this year, it would adopt a principle of printing ballots equal to 100% of the number of registered voters as of the date the electoral roll is compiled, and would require approval from the Central Election Commission if a smaller quantity is to be printed.