Voters Can Campaign for Candidates From Thurs.

Campaigns for the June 2 local elections will officially begin Thursday, allowing registered candidates to promote themselves on streets and voters to campaign for the candidates they support.

The National Election Committee said Wednesday that anyone can start campaigning Thursday except those under age 19, public servants, foreign nationals and others banned by election law.

Voters can endorse or oppose a political party or candidate through Internet homepages, bulletin boards and chat rooms, but say false things about candidates or their families or provide incorrect information.

Voters can also promote or oppose candidates in public places such as markets, parks and train stations. Door-to-door visits are banned, however.

The name cards of candidates can be personally distributed only by the candidates themselves, their spouses and direct relatives. Ordinary people are prohibited from handing out candidates’ name cards or other printed materials promoting them.

Officials hired by candidate election offices can perform the distribution only when they accompany the candidates they work for. Printed materials on election pledges can be distributed only by candidates running for the top posts of provinces, cities and districts and those involved in their campaigns.

Those running for provincial or municipal assemblies and educational administrations are banned from giving out printed materials other than their name cards.

Street campaigns are allowed from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Campaigns using only portable loudspeakers are allowed from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Candidates can campaign using phones and mobile phone text messaging but are not allowed to send mass e-mail via computer more than five times.

Internet postings and text messages must carry “election campaign information” tags. In particular, text messages must explicitly inform recipients of how to refuse receiving the information.

Holding social meetings intended to affect the polls is not allowed. Associations are banned from calling gatherings. Government-sponsored community meetings are also banned unless justified by “special” reasons.

egija@donga.com