Overseas Voting Committee

Establishment unit

Diplomatic missions are defined by Article 2 of the Republic of Korea Overseas Diplomatic Mission Management Act

• Diplomatic missions without an overseas voting committee (Article 218-1 of the Public Official Election Act)
  • An overseas diplomatic mission that does not carry out consular affairs or have a consular district
  • An overseas diplomatic mission that does not have an office in the area under its jurisdiction
• Korea Overseas Diplomatic Mission Establishment Act
  • Article 2 :Overseas diplomatic missions include embassies, minister’s offices, representative offices, general consul’s offices and consul’s offices.- Article 3 :An overseas diplomatic mission may install branch offices to distribute their duties when necessary pursuant to the Presidential Ordinance.

Operation period

From the 180th day prior to election day to the 30th day after election day (approximately 7 months)
Until the 30th day after the latest election day when more than one election is being held within a short time period From the19th National Assembly Election to the 18th Presidential Election: Oct. 14, 2011 to Jan. 18, 2013

Members

• Eligibility
  • Non-party members and non-overseas returning officers who have the right to vote for National Assembly members
• Composition
  • Up to two people appointed by the National Election Commission
  • One person per each National Assembly negotiation group by recommendation
  • The head of a diplomatic mission or an individual among diplomatic mission officers recommended by the head of a diplomatic mission
  • The fixed number of members is odd.
    ※ But, if there is a change in the number of National Assembly negotiating groups after establishing Overseas Voting Committees, the current members of the committees are considered as the fixed number of the committees' members.
• The chairperson and deputy chairperson of the committee are elected among committee members, but the head of a diplomatic mission (including the member recommended by the head of a diplomatic mission) are not eligible for the chair position.

Secretaries, clerks, etc.

The chairman of the Overseas Voting Committee may appoint secretaries, clerks and others among the diplomatic mission staffers in collaboration with the head of the diplomatic mission.

Duties

• Finalization and announcement of the locations and operation periods of overseas polling stations, etc.
• Management of votes in each overseas polling station
• Appointment of overseas polling station poll workers and selection of voting observers
• Supervision of election management affairs conducted by overseas returning officers
• Additional duties related to the prevention and control of election crimes

Overseas returning officer

Who is an overseas returning officer?

The head of a diplomatic mission serves as the ex-officio overseas returning officer.
※ The head of the diplomatic mission that has a consul general may appoint the consul general as the overseas returning officer.

Duties

• Handling overseas voter registrations and overseas absentee applications
• Support for overseas Koreans in exercising their right to vote
• Installation of overseas polling stations
• Management of all aspects of overseas voting, including the shipping of overseas votes to Korea
• Support for the operation of the Overseas Voting Committee