“Voting turnout 99.9%, approval rate 100%”

This is the voting result that North Korean media tout after each election. Elections are held periodically in North Korea to select delegates for provincial and city councils. These councils only approve decisions made by the leader and the party. Elections are conducted by asking the population to approve or disapprove of the candidates for deputies set by the Labor Party. All adults are required to vote, and not voting is considered disobedience to the party. In other words, '100% approval' means that 100% of the people approved the candidate chosen by the Labor Party. How is such a ridiculous situation possible?

The answer lies in the voting process. When a voter arrives at a polling place, they are checked for ID and given a ballot. The voter then enters the voting room and places this ballot in the ballot box. Leaving the ballot blank signifies approval of the Labor Party's candidate. To express dissent, a voter must cross out the candidate's name on the ballot in front of everyone before placing it in the ballot box. According to defectors, dissenting against a candidate at the polls is unthinkable in North Korea, and most voters don't even know how to express dissent.

Recently, there has been a change in the North Korean electoral system. There is now a separate ballot box for downvotes. People can now see that it is possible to vote against a candidate. Recently, reporting on the results of election for deputies to regional people's assemblies, the North's state media said 0.09% and 0.13% voted against the selected candidates for the provincial and city councils, respectively.

A photo released by state media showed leader, Kim jong-un casting a ballot, standing before two boxes, one in green for approval and the other in red for dissent. Kim Jong-un voted in approval, and state media broadcast this scene to all citizens.

Although the electoral system has changed a bit, elections are still a propaganda tool in North Korea to show off the people's support for the regime. The election results only serve to reaffirm the solidity of the Workers' Party.

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