Citizens demanding an investigation into election irregularities related to a shortage of ballots in Jamsil, Seoul. [Provided by Reader] 

The shortage of ballots that occurred in some areas, including Songpa District, Seoul, during the 9th National Simultaneous Local Elections held on June 3, 2026, is not a mere administrative oversight. It is a grave constitutional violation that directly trampled upon the voting rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

In numerous polling stations across Jamsil, Garak, Munjeong, and Wirye in Songpa District, ballots ran out in the afternoon, causing hundreds of voters to wait for extended periods or give up their right to vote. The National Election Commission (NEC) consistently offered the weak excuse that "voter turnout was higher than expected," but this merely amounted to an admission of their clear incompetence and dereliction of duty during the preparation phase. 

Furthermore, the fact that these incidents occurred predominantly in areas with strong support for candidate Oh Se-hoon raises serious suspicions that cannot be dismissed as simple mistakes.

This situation must be compared to the 2016 Austrian presidential election. At that time, the Austrian Constitutional Court nullified the entire election and ordered a re-vote upon confirming procedural violations in the absentee ballot counting process, such as the absence of observers, premature opening of ballots, and premature disclosure of results. This judgment affirmed the fundamental democratic principle that an election whose procedural legitimacy has been compromised is invalid, regardless of its outcome.

The case of Germany is even more stringent. The Constitutional Court of Berlin and the Federal Constitutional Court issued a decisive legal judgment of "nullification of the entire election" for the ballot shortages and voting delays that occurred during the 2022 elections, despite only about 1% of the total voters being affected. 

The German judiciary explicitly stated that voting conducted after the normal closing time, exposed to media predictions and exit poll results, was an essential violation of the "principle of free elections" and destroyed the constitutional essence of elections, which is the formation of a unified voter will.

On May 22nd, our association, Jeonggyomo, warned of this situation through a statement: "We cannot help but be concerned about the June 3rd local elections proceeding without systemic improvements. Who will be responsible for the expected chaos after the election?" 

Those concerns have become a reality. Moreover, repeated reports from numerous civic group observers at the scene indicate discrepancies of over 5% between the number of voters they directly counted and the numbers officially announced by the NEC in this election. 

These figures clearly exceed the margin of error and represent a critical issue that undermines fundamental trust in the overall election management. 

Elections are the bedrock of democracy. In a situation where voters are deprived of their right to vote due to ballot shortages, and even the official vote counts are unreliable, accepting the results of this election as is would be an act of voluntarily surrendering national sovereignty. No political interest or administrative convenience can justify this. Therefore, we unequivocally urge the following:

First, the government must immediately declare the entire 9th National Simultaneous Local Elections null and void, and completely halt the vote counting process and the announcement of winners.

Second, the judicial authorities must immediately launch an investigation into the perpetrators and causes behind this incident and severely punish those involved.

Third, the National Assembly and the NEC must immediately commence procedures for a nationwide re-election.

Fourth, the NEC must immediately conduct an independent and transparent comprehensive review of the number of voters at all polling stations nationwide, the ballot usage records, and the entire counting process.

Fifth, a fact-finding committee, composed of legal and statistical experts from civic groups and each political party, must be immediately established to thoroughly verify the legality and fairness of the entire election management process.

The principle of national sovereignty enshrined in Article 1, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution is not merely a declaration. It is realized only when not even 'a single vote' is unjustly suppressed or distorted. An election lacking procedural legitimacy is a grave violation of the right to vote guaranteed by Article 24 and the principles of fair and equal elections under Article 116 of the Constitution, and therefore cannot be recognized as a 'constitutionally valid election.' 

We strongly demand a fundamental reform of the election system, so that national sovereignty and the right to vote are realized as substantive rights, not just formal slogans, stemming from this incident. We declare that we will fight through all legal means until this demand is met.

June 4, 2026

The National Professors Association for Social Justice (Jeonggyomo)