Seoul, Mar 7 (IANS): Police in South Korea will deploy a total of 68,786 personnel to provide security at polling and counting stations across the nation during Wednesday's presidential election, officials said on Monday.

The personnel will be deployed to 14,464 polling stations and 251 ballot counting stations as police will go on higher alert on the election day for possible emergencies, Yonhap News Agency quoted the officials as saying.

The police also plan to set up hotlines between polling places and police stations to respond to possible contingencies, and patrol the voting stations once an hour until 6 p.m. and twice per hour between 6 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. when Covid-19 patients cast their votes.

Armed police officers will also provide escort for National Election Commission officials transporting ballot boxes to the counting stations, the officials said.

The upcoming election has shaped up to be a two-way race between former Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party and former prosecutor-general Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party.

In the polls, the two have long competed within the margin of error at around 40 per cent support each.

More than 44 million people are eligible to vote in this year's election.

Voting for overseas South Koreans took place over six days until February 28, while sailors aboard ships cast their ballots from March 1-4.