▲ Investigators from a joint police-prosecution team leave the National Election Commission's headquarters in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, on June 11, 2026, after raiding the site as part of a probe into shortages of ballot papers during the June 3 local elections. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

election watchdog-probe

Investigators likely to question election watchdog officials soon over local election ballot shortage

SEOUL, June 14 (Yonhap) -- A joint team of police investigators and prosecutors will soon question election watchdog officials over shortages of ballot papers during the June 3 local elections, legal sources said Sunday.

The expected move comes as the National Election Commission (NEC) has taken flak for the shortages that temporarily suspended voting at 26 polling stations, mostly in Seoul, during the elections earlier this month.

The team completed a search and seizure on NEC's servers on Saturday to secure internal messages and other records as part of a probe into the cause of the shortages.

The team plans to soon call in front-line NEC officials stationed in areas that experienced the shortages for questioning before summoning senior officials, including the NEC's former chief who resigned over the incident.

The investigation is focused on whether NEC officials exerted undue influence regarding the printing of the ballot papers and how they responded to the shortages.

Under the election law, civil servants are restricted from using their position to exert undue influence in an election.

The team raided seven locations, including the NEC's headquarters, on Thursday as part of the probe.

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