As of 7 a.m. on the 3rd, the voter turnout in the 21st presidential election was provisionally counted at 2.4%.

On the 3rd, citizens find the polling station set up at Yunjung Middle School in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the election day of the 21st presidential election, receiving ballots. /Courtesy of News1

According to the National Election Commission website, voting began simultaneously at 14,295 polling stations nationwide at 6 a.m. on that day. During the first hour, 1,063,794 out of a total of 44,391,871 registered voters had cast their ballots, resulting in a voter turnout of 2.4%.

This is 0.3 percentage points higher than the voter turnout of 2.1% at the same time during the 20th presidential election in 2022.

The region with the highest voter turnout was Daegu (3.2%), followed by Gyeongsangbuk-do (3.0%) and Daejeon (2.8%). The lowest turnout was in Jeollabuk-do (1.7%), followed by Gwangju (1.8%) and Jeollanam-do (1.9%). Voter turnout in Seoul was recorded at 2.2%.

In early voting, Jeollanam-do (56.50%), Jeollabuk-do (53.01%), and Gwangju (52.12%) in the Honam region had the highest voter turnout, while Daegu (25.63%), Busan (30.37), and Gyeongsangnam-do (31.71%) in the Yeongnam region had lower turnouts. The capital region also fell below the national average, with Seoul (34.28%), Incheon (32.79%), and Gyeonggi-do (32.88%).

The early voting rate will be included in the voter turnout announced at 1 p.m. that day.

Voting will take place at 14,295 polling stations nationwide until 8 p.m. However, if individuals are waiting in line at 8 p.m. and receive a queue number, they will be allowed to vote even after the closing time.

Voters can only cast their ballots at the polling station designated based on their registered address. They must bring identification such as a resident registration card, passport, or driver's license. If voters bring a mobile ID like a mobile driver's license, they must open the application (app) at the polling station and show it to the voting supervisor for identity verification.

Vote counting is expected to begin around 8:30 p.m. at 251 counting centers nationwide. The National Election Commission projected that the results indicating the elected candidates would be revealed around midnight. However, this timing may change depending on the difference in vote percentages among candidates.