Taiwan's Voting System Core is Credibility; Focus Should Be on Vote-Buying, Not Absentee Voting, Says Lawyer

Amid renewed discussions on "absentee voting" in Taiwan, sparked by administrative issues in South Korea's recent elections, lawyer Lin Chi-chun asserts that Taiwan's current electoral system should not be altered if it is functioning well. Instead, he argues, the primary focus should be on tackling the entrenched practices of vote-buying and vote-monitoring by local power brokers, often referred to as "zhuangjiao" (樁腳).

“

If the voting system is operating well, there is no need to change it. What truly needs to be addressed are the practices of local power brokers engaging in vote-buying and vote-monitoring.

Lin emphasized that the core of Taiwan's voting system is its credibility. He warned that a loss of public trust in election results could lead to widespread unrest, referencing the prolonged protests following the 2004 presidential election when Lien Chan did not accept the outcome. Lin expressed concern that introducing absentee voting, let alone online voting, would provide even more grounds for suspicion and accusations of electoral manipulation, particularly by the ruling party.

He drew an analogy to baseball pitcher Wang Chien-ming's signature "sinker" pitch: if it's effective, there's no need to change it. Lin reiterated that the real problem lies with the "zhuangjiao" system, where local power brokers engage in vote-buying and monitoring. He suggested that the potential for cyberattacks on online voting systems, especially by entities like China, poses a significant threat that could destabilize the election results and create chaos, benefiting adversaries.

“

The most crucial aspect of Taiwan's voting system is its credibility. If credibility is lost, and people do not accept the election results, it leads to internal chaos.

The article notes that the discussion around absentee voting resurfaced after a shortage of ballots in South Korea led to public dissatisfaction. Lin's comments highlight a perspective that prioritizes strengthening existing mechanisms against electoral fraud over introducing potentially more vulnerable systems like absentee or online voting.

“

If absentee voting further evolves into online voting, with China's technological capabilities, hacking into the voting system to alter election results would not be difficult. It would simply create chaos, and they would benefit.