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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Elections & Politics

Taiwan Legislature Pushes Ahead with Multi-Question Referendum Ballot Despite Official Warnings

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Approved/passed
  • Taiwan's legislature has decided to proceed with a motion to print multiple referendum questions on a single ballot, despite warnings from the Central Election Commission.
  • The opposition KMT proposed the amendment to streamline voting, while the ruling DPP's motion for reconsideration was rejected by the majority.
  • The Central Election Commission chairman had cautioned that the rushed change could have unforeseen and irreparable consequences, citing a lack of supporting technology compared to systems in other countries.

Taiwan's Legislative Yuan has moved forward with a controversial proposal to consolidate multiple referendum questions onto a single ballot, a decision that has drawn sharp criticism and warnings from election officials. The move, championed by the Kuomintang (KMT) and supported by the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), passed its second reading despite strong opposition from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The rushed amendment to allow multiple referendums on one ballot could have unimaginable and irreparable consequences.

— You Ying-lungCentral Election Commission Chairman You Ying-lung's warning about the potential impact of the legislative change.

KMT legislator Lai Ssu-bao, who proposed the amendment to the Referendum Act, argued that printing all referendums on one ballot would simplify the voting process, reduce queues, and speed up vote counting. He also suggested it would enhance voter privacy by preventing the exposure of political leanings through separate ballot selections.

However, Central Election Commission Chairman You Ying-lung issued a stark warning, calling the rushed legislative change potentially disastrous. He highlighted that Taiwan lacks the advanced optical scanning and software systems used in countries like the United States, which facilitate similar multi-question ballots. You expressed concern that the change could create more problems than it solves, especially with elections just over three months away.

Taiwan does not have the modern optical scanning and related software systems for counting votes that are used in the United States. This could create more problems than it solves.

— You Ying-lungHighlighting the technological gap that makes the proposed referendum system risky for Taiwan.

The DPP attempted to block the amendment by filing a motion for reconsideration, but their efforts were defeated by the combined majority of the KMT and TPP. The legislative session's decision to proceed with the amendment, despite these significant concerns, underscores a deep political divide on electoral procedures and their potential impact on democratic processes.

Consolidating referendum questions onto a single ballot can avoid the cumbersome process of handling one ballot per question, reduce queues, and prevent controversies during voting and counting.

— Lai Ssu-baoKMT legislator Lai Ssu-bao's justification for the proposed amendment.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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