Supreme People's Assembly in 2009 consisted of using paper ballots containing the name of a single candidate nominated in each district. To indicate support for the candidate, a ballot was dropped into the box unmarked. If the voter did not support a candidate, that voter had to cross out the name of the candidate before dropping the ballot. The voting method was a departure from prior elections. In previous elections, the system consisted of two ballot boxes at each polling station. The boxes, one black and one white, were to indicate support for or against a candidate. There was no system in place to handle absentee ballots for North Koreans living abroad and there did not appear to be a system of advanced voting in place. Proxy votes were ordered to be cast by family members of North Korean defectors who were detained in prisons within China. All voting and the validation of official returns was overseen by the Central Election Committee. Voting was supposed to be a secret process, but with the method of casting ballots, it became obvious who was opposed to the candidates. The voter had the option of going to a booth to cross out the name or dropping the ballot directly in the box. Penalties for voting against a candidate or not voting were severe. Electors who refused to vote were sent to labor camps. A member of the National Security Agency was stationed at every polling station to keep an eye out for people who used or looked at the red pen. Conduct Election day began with editorials being published in all state run media, encouraging voter participation. Voting officially began at 9:00am local time. Mobile polling stations were dispatched to infirm residents who could not travel to polling stations to cast ballots. Citizens of foreign nations resident in North Korea were also encouraged to come out and cast a ballot if they so wished. By noon on election day, the Korean Central News Agency had reported that 71% of registered North Korean voters had turned out to cast ballots. Voters in North Korea had dressed up for election day, wearing suits and chosŏn-ot, traditional Korean dresses. The most watched race of the election was district 333 where leader Kim Jong-il was running. On March 9, 2009, North Korean media announced that Kim Jong-il was unanimously re-elected to parliament. The election committee also stated