Early voting for the June 13 local elections and parliamentary by-elections begins on Friday and runs until Saturday, according to the National Election Commission.

During the two-day advance voting, eligible voters will cast ballots at 3,512 polling stations nationwide. The publication of new public opinion polls is banned as of Thursday, the watchdog said. 

To boost early voting for the race, whose higher turnout usually leads to a higher overall voting rate, the commission and local election committees are organizing festivals across provinces and cities, aimed at attracting voters.

In South Gyeongsang Province, the provincial election committee has collaborated with local bakeries to come up with baked goods bearing vote stamp images. The baked goods are available at 100 local bakeries until June 13.

North Chungcheong Province’s election committee has employed 135 post office vehicles and 107 public buses to boost voter turnout while installing banners on 1,200 shopping carts at local malls and grocery stores.

Candidates will be competing for 4,016 administrative, legislative and educational posts, including city mayors and provincial governors. Separately, 12 National Assembly seats will be filled in the by-elections.

According to recent public polls, the ruling liberal Democratic Party enjoys a lead in the majority of regions in the local elections.

The ruling party’s approval rating stands at 52 percent, according to the Realmeter poll conducted on May 4 -5, while its main conservative opposition Liberty Korea Party stands at 18.5 percent.

By Bak Se-hwan (sh@heraldcorp.com)