(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead; UPDATES with latest details in paras 2-3, 7)
SEOUL, April 6 (Yonhap) — More than a quarter of eligible voters have cast their ballots in the parliamentary elections as the early-voting period was winding down, data showed Saturday.
According to the National Election Commission (NEC), 11,747,305 out of 44,280,011 eligible voters had cast their ballots as of 3 p.m. Saturday, for a turnout rate of 26.53 percent.
At the same point for the previous parliamentary elections in 2020, the turnout was 21.95 percent. Early-voting turnout has never reached 30 percent in any general elections.
Voters will have until 6 p.m. Saturday to cast their ballots at 3,565 polling stations. Those missing the opportunity this weekend will have to vote on Election Day on Wednesday.
On Friday, about 6.9 million voters, or 15.61 percent, went to the polls, a record for the first day of early voting for parliamentary elections. South Korea introduced the early-voting system in 2014.
On the first day of early voting, turnout exceeded 10 percent in all 17 major cities and provinces nationwide, led by South Jeolla Province with 23.6 percent. The turnout in Seoul was 15.83 percent.
South Jeolla continued to lead the way through 3 p.m. Saturday with 36.45 percent. The southeastern city of Daegu brought up the rear at 21.51 percent.
The quadrennial race is considered crucial for the ruling People Power Party as failure to regain a majority could potentially render President Yoon Suk Yeol a lame duck for the remaining three years of his single five-year term.
The main opposition Democratic Party, which enjoyed a landslide victory in the previous elections, aims to retain its parliamentary majority.
According to a survey conducted jointly by Yonhap News Agency and Yonhap News TV earlier this week, 80 percent of respondents expressed a definite intention to cast their votes.
Among those intending to vote, 39 percent planned to visit polling stations during the early-voting period, while 58 percent intended to vote on Election Day.
Voters cast their ballots at a polling station in Incheon, just west of Seoul, on the second day of early voting for the parliamentary elections on April 6, 2024. (Yonhap)
(END)
