Overview
- Early voting opened at 6 a.m. Friday and runs through 6 p.m. Saturday at 3,571 stations, producing a record 5.18 million ballots on the first day and more than 6.86 million cast by 11 a.m. on the second day, the National Election Commission reported.
- Voters may use any designated polling station nationwide by showing government photo ID; out‑of‑district ballots must be sealed in a return envelope, voters receive four to eight ballot papers in two sets, and each ballot must be stamped with the official stamp to count.
- President Lee Jae Myung and other senior figures cast early ballots on Friday while rival parties split tactics between voting early and on election day as they press turnout as the decisive battleground.
- Turnout is uneven across regions with strong early rates in South and North Jeolla and weaker participation in Daegu and parts of the southeast, making regional turnout patterns critical for tight mayoral, gubernatorial and 14 parliamentary by‑election contests.
- A record 151,532 foreign residents are eligible to vote this year and the NEC has added transparency measures such as public CCTV access to ballot box storage and clear ballot stands, though some polling places reported confusion implementing rules for foreign voters.