사전투표제도의 문제점 및 개선 방안: 집중투표제도와 전국 단위 투표소 설치를 중심으로

Abstract

This study aims to solve the issues of election costs, suspicion of fraudulent election, and constitutional violations caused by the implementation of the early voting system. To this end, we examined what specific issues have been raised about the early voting system, and found that about KRW 88.7 billion in election costs per day was incurred in relation to the 20th presidential election. In the process of early voting, fraudulent election issues have been raised about the barcode and stamping method of early voting papers and the process of transporting and storing early voting papers. In terms of violations of constitutional principles, we found that the early voting system violates the principles of free and secret elections and violates suffrage by distorting the will of voters. In order to solve these problems, checking previous studies, we found that voting systems, including early voting systems, in other countries are designed to practically guarantee the right to vote in accordance with the actual situation of each country, and that Korea’s early voting system aims to guarantee the suffrage and that the effect of encouraging voters to vote is minimal, but it improves convenience. Based on the results of these previous studies, the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court precedents, and the National Election Commission, we reviewed the problems of the early voting system and found that the problems that still need to be solved are election costs and the violation of people’s suffrage due to wasted votes. Therefore, we recommend the introduction of a concentrated voting system and the establishment f nationwide polling stations to reduce the cost of early voting and prevent early voting votes from being wasted. In addition, we recommend that a system should be in place to indicate on the ballot or at the polling station that a candidate has withdrawn from the race, as no-resignation rule after registration of candidates violates the constitutional right to freedom of election. In addition, to improve the convenience of voters and solve the practical difficulties of election officials due to the concentrated voting system and the establishment of polling stations nationwide, we suggest a real-time polling place classifier and polling place congestion check service.