Ballot Paper
Overview
A ballot paper is an official document used by voters in elections to express their support for a candidate or political party. As the core tool of democratic elections, it realizes the principle of the secret ballot and is designed so that the will of voters can be tallied accurately and without distortion. Because the format, specifications, printing, and management methods of ballot papers directly affect the fairness and reliability of elections, each country strictly regulates them through statutes and a central election management body.
Key Details
Legal Basis and Status
In the Republic of Korea, the Public Official Election Act (공직선거법) prescribes the specifications, required entries, and printing and storage procedures of ballot papers. Ballot papers are produced at printing facilities commissioned by the National Election Commission (중앙선거관리위원회), and during the printing process, observers recommended by political parties are present to prevent fraudulent printing. Ballot papers are distributed to polling stations through strict quantity control and sealing procedures, and after voting ends they are kept for a certain period to serve as the basis for recounts.
Entries and Format
Ballot papers show the type of election, the candidate's number, name, and party name, and, where required, statutory entries such as occupation and education. In proportional representation elections, party names and candidate lists are printed together. Recently, candidate photographs, party logos, color coding, and braille markings have increasingly been introduced to help voters' understanding. Ballot papers must be marked with the marking tool inside the designated voting booth, and taking a ballot paper out of the booth or damaging it is subject to punishment.
Secret Ballot and Fairness
The core principle of the ballot paper system is the secret ballot. To ensure that which candidate a voter chose is not exposed to others, the installation of voting booths, the sealing of ballot boxes, and a system of counting observers are operated together. In addition, as a rule, ballot papers do not bear serial numbers or personally identifying information, which is a device to guarantee the anonymity of the vote. However, some countries operate separate verification procedures in parallel to prevent election fraud.
Vote Counting and Recounts
Ballot papers are placed in ballot boxes, transported to counting centers, and then go through sorting, inspection, and tallying under the observation of counting observers and representatives of parties and candidates. The criteria for determining invalid ballots (marks outside the marking area, duplicate markings, blank ballots, etc.) are set by statute and by rules of the election commission, and when there is an objection to a determination, procedures for filing an objection and for a recount are in place. In close elections, there have been cases in which recount results reversed the outcome.
Relationship with Electronic Voting
Even in countries that have introduced electronic voting or electronic counting systems, rather than abolishing the ballot paper entirely, many adopt a method of using paper ballots in parallel or preserving paper records as an audit trail. This functions as a double safety device against hacking or system errors.
Recent Trends
In 2024–2025, attempts to simultaneously increase the accessibility and reliability of ballot papers are notable. First, the introduction of braille ballots, enlarged-print ballots, and voice-guided marking aids for persons with disabilities, the elderly, and the visually impaired is expanding. Second, the application of anti-forgery technologies such as barcodes, holograms, and special paper to prevent the loss, damage, and fraudulent printing of ballot papers is increasing. Third, with the expansion of early voting, overseas voting, and postal voting, demands are growing to transparently disclose the procedures for transporting, storing, and collecting ballot papers, and some countries are implementing systems that broadcast the counting process in real time or disclose images of ballot papers. Fourth, research on automatic counting and verification systems using artificial intelligence is under way, but owing to the possibility of errors and the issue of verification responsibility, the principle of treating paper ballots as the final basis is being maintained.
Related Topics
- [[Secret Ballot]]
- [[Public Official Election Act]]
- [[National Election Commission]]
- [[Vote Counting]]
- [[Electronic Voting]]
- [[Election]]