Taiwan's election commission warns of chaos if referendums merge with general election

Taiwan's Central Election Commission (CEC) has issued a stark warning about the potential chaos and delays that could arise from combining six proposed referendums with the year-end general elections. CEC Chairman Yu Ying-lung expressed grave concern, likening the situation to facing a formidable enemy.

The referendums, initiated by the Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP), cover a range of contentious issues, including the introduction of corporal punishment, opposition to the abolition of the death penalty, a "transfer voting" system, the dedicated use of traffic fines, the repeal of "non-nuclear homeland" policy, and euthanasia.

Yu Ying-lung recalled the 2022 election, where a single referendum caused vote counting to extend until 11:40 p.m. He estimates that with four or more referendums, the counting process could drag on until 2 or 3 a.m. the following day, highlighting the objective reality of the logistical burden.

Critics question why the KMT and TPP are insisting on this approach when legislative proposals for four of the six referendums already exist in the Legislative Yuan. They argue that pursuing referendums prolongs the process and carries greater risks if the proposals fail, making legislative reform more difficult. The article suggests this strategy might mask undisclosed motives.

The article draws parallels to the 2018 general election, which combined 10 referendums and resulted in widespread electoral chaos, including simultaneous voting and counting in some districts. This led to the resignation of the CEC chairman at the time. The current push to combine referendums with the general election is seen as a potential "disaster" that could erode public trust in elections and democracy, a scenario that could benefit external adversaries.