(LEAD) Overseas voter turnout hits record high of 62.8 pct: NEC

SEOUL, Overseas voting turnout for the April 10 general elections recorded an all-time high of 62.8 percent, the state election watchdog said Tuesday. A total of 92,923 people out of more than 147,000 eligible voters abroad had cast their ballots, according to a tentative compilation from the National Election Commission (NEC). Overseas voting, which began Wednesday, closed Monday at 220 polling stations in 115 countries. By region, turnout reached over 70 percent among voters in Africa, the Middle East and Europe, while recording 62.8 percent in Asia and 56.5 percent in the United States, the commission said. This year's turnout marks the highest since overseas voting was introduced in the 2012 general elections. Previous turnouts were 45.7 percent in the 2012 elections, 41.4 percent in the 2016 elections and 23.8 percent in the 2020 elections. The low turnout in the 2020 elections was attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Overseas voter turnout for parliamentary elections tends to be lower compared with presidential elections, whose turnout has exceeded 70 percent for the past three presidential elections, the NEC said. Ballots will be shipped backed to the country via diplomatic pouches. They will then be checked at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, with the attendance of observers recommended by the National Assembly, before being mailed to regional election commissions and counted on voting day. Eligible voters who were unable to participate in the overseas voting or those wishing to cast their ballots in South Korea can do so on voting day if they report to regional election commissions by Wednesday next week, the NEC said. Source: Yonhap News Agency