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Recommendation not to install voting booths within religious facilities [2008] KRNHRC 16 (1 January 2008)

In 2007 and 2008, the Commission accepted complaints that installing voting booths
within religious facilities violated the freedom of religion of both religious and
non-religious people.

An investigation found that as the National Election Commission installed voting
booths in religious facilities, voters who did not want to go to certain religious facilities for
religious reasons had to go to the facilities against their will to cast their vote or had to give
up voting. This might have violated the freedom of religion respected under the
Constitution. Also, as voters gave up voting, democracy was compromised. Therefore, the
Commission recommended that the Chairperson of the National Election Commission not
install voting booths in religious facilities, except when there are unavoidable reasons such
as difficulties finding a place for voting booths in the voting district.

The National Election Commission responded that it was trying to minimize the number
of voting booths installed in religious facilities, and that the Constitutional Court was
deliberating on the issue. It announced that it would deal with this issue according to the
final ruling of the Constitutional Court.