"It's already unusual to see a polling station set up at a wedding hall, but the floor right above is a barbecue restaurant, so I'm planning to grab a meal with my family after voting. I came at lunchtime on purpose."
Lee, a voter in his 60s, told Seoul Economic Daily as much at the Dobong 1-dong No. 2 polling station, set up at a wedding hall in Seoul's Dobong-gu, around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. The polling station, marked "Small Banquet Hall" in a corner of the wedding venue, was bustling with voters. Since the space was originally designed for weddings, ballot desks and voting booths were arranged under ornate lighting and on top of carpeting. Voters who had already cast their ballots and were waiting for their companions sat on banquet chairs draped with white cloth.
A meat franchise restaurant was operating one floor directly above the Dobong 1-dong No. 2 polling station. "For this election, I want to pick someone who works well, so I went through the election booklet carefully and even took notes on my phone," Lee said. "It's been a while since the whole family gathered at home for the election, and it's nice that we don't have to look around for restaurants — we just have to go up one floor after voting."
The Namgajwa 2-dong No. 2 polling station in Seoul's Seodaemun-gu, set up at a vehicle tinting shop, did not have long lines, but a steady stream of elderly voters kept arriving. Some citizens took photos, apparently amused by the tinting shop turned polling station, but residents seemed used to it and walked inside naturally.
Suh, a voter in his 70s who visited the polling station, said, "It's been quite a while since the tinting shop became a polling station, so we're used to it, but outsiders find it novel and some come on purpose to see it." He added, "Elderly people use buses often, so I chose a candidate who pledged to expand public transportation."
A bakery in Seoul's Gangbuk-gu housed the Suyu 3-dong No. 1 polling station. A standing banner reading "Coffee, Beverages, Bread" carried a notice marking it as the "Suyu 3-dong No. 1 Polling Station." Voters lined up inside the cafe, which was decorated with charming touches such as rabbit figurines. Wooden tables and chairs that would normally be used by customers served as ballot desks.
The unusual voting spaces sometimes left voters struggling to find their way. One couple who visited the bakery said, "We didn't think a polling station would be inside a bakery in an alley, so we walked back and forth on the same path several times." They added, "But once we actually voted, the space felt more familiar than a government office, so it was easier on our minds."
Jeon, a voter in his 20s, also said, "My first criterion was whether the candidate could properly use the government budget for citizens." He added, "Regardless of party, I think votes should go to diligent people."
Under the Public Official Election Act, polling stations are typically set up at public facilities such as community service centers or schools. However, when securing space is difficult, private facilities can also be designated as polling stations. When private facilities are used in this way, the National Election Commission provides the owner with a modest honorarium or rental fee.
As of 11 a.m. that day, the turnout for the 9th nationwide local elections stood at 15.0%. Voting began simultaneously at polling stations across the country at 6 a.m., with 6,713,316 of the 44,649,908 total eligible voters having cast their ballots. That was 3.0 percentage points higher than the 12.0% recorded at the same hour during the 8th local elections in 2022, which had a final turnout of 50.9%.
Voting continued until 6 p.m. Voters were required to bring identification and cast their ballots at the polling station with jurisdiction over their registered address. While ballots for local council members may list multiple candidates from the same party, voters were required to mark only one candidate.
