Battle for ballots: Why early voting is key on the campaign trail

Seoul’s university-packed Sinchon-dong and Incheon’s Gyeyang District were the areas chosen on Thursday by contenders Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party (DP) and Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (PPP), respectively, to cast their votes.

Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, third from left, casts his ballot during early voting on May 29 with three young voters in Sinchon in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, where multiple universities are located. [KIM SUNG-RYONG]

Seoul’s university-packed Sinchon-dong and Incheon’s Gyeyang District were the areas chosen on Thursday by presidential contenders Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party (DP) and Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (PPP), respectively, to cast their votes — despite being nowhere near where the candidates actually reside.

Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party, on the other hand, chose to vote in his home constituency of Dongtan in Gyeonggi's Hwaseong.

What do these choices of early voting sites imply?

At the Sinchon-dong community center on Thursday, Lee Jae-myung was accompanied by four young voters, underscoring his focus on winning over the 20- and 30-something demographic.

“I hope this election can mark the start of returning Korea to a country led by its youth,” the DP presidential candidate said after casting his ballot.

Lee Jun-ho, head of local pollster STI, saw this move as a "calculated bid" to sway undecided younger voters since the DP relatively lacks supports from the younger demographics.

People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo, left, casts his ballot during early voting on May 29 at a community center in Gyeyang-dong in Incheon with his daughter Kim Dong-joo. [LIM HYUN-DONG]

Meanwhile, Kim Moon-soo targeted Lee Jae-myung’s parliamentary stronghold in Incheon’s Gyeyang District. Arriving hand-in-hand with his daughter on Thursday, Kim voted at a local polling station before fanning out across nearby neighborhoods for more campaigning. The PPP described the move as “a determined attempt to overturn Lee’s home turf and spark a late surge in support.”

STI's Lee Jun-ho noted that Kim’s choice to appear with his daughter was "particularly striking, especially given Lee Jae-myung’s ongoing feud with third-party candidate Lee Jun-seok regarding Lee Jae-myung's son."

"It seems that both sides strategically selected their early voting locations," the STI CEO said.

The early voting system, which allows voters to cast their ballots anywhere in the country, contrasts to official voting, which only allows voting near their registered residence, serves as a key political performance for candidates. It’s no longer just about casting a ballot — it’s about carefully orchestrated gestures that signal intent and identity.

A traditional precedent

In 2022, then-President Yoon Suk Yeol cast his early ballot for the local election in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood during his lunch break, encouraging Koreans to do the same.

Former President Park Geun-hye’s choice of a navy coat at an early voting site earlier that year for the presidential election triggered rumors of partisan endorsement.

The navy color, according to left-wing figures, indicated that Park was supporting Lee Jae-myung of the DP — whose party's representative color is blue.

Her lawyer played down the speculation by saying the coat had been frequently worn by Park, adding that she wore it when attending warrant hearings and prosecution summons.

Even former President Moon Jae-in’s Facebook post during the early-voting period for the previous presidential election mentioned the word “democracy” three times — drawing criticism from the PPP as partisan, though DP officials then pointed out that he also used the word “people” twice.

"The post also mentioned the word 'people' twice and does that mean that we support the PPP?," Park Chan-dae who served as the chief spokesperson for DP's presidential election campaign had refuted.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY KIM NA-HAN [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]