Taiwan to implement secret ballot for indigenous voters in upcoming election

Taiwan's general election at the end of the year will introduce a secret ballot system for indigenous voters, a significant change aimed at protecting their voting rights. Hsinchu County's election commission has identified that this new measure will impact at least 18 indigenous residents across eight townships, necessitating the designation of specific polling stations for them.

Initially, at least 12 polling stations in Hsinchu County are expected to be designated for indigenous voters. However, election officials anticipate that the number could increase by more than five before the final voter rolls are confirmed on November 8, due to the freedom of movement and potential residential changes among citizens.

The "forced vote disclosure" issue has been a long-standing concern for indigenous voters, particularly when a single polling station serves an entire village. In such cases, voters might feel pressured or observed, compromising the secrecy of their ballot. This has been a recurring problem, especially during elections for county councilors representing indigenous constituencies.

To address this, central authorities have revised the voting procedures. If a village has only one polling station, it will automatically become an "indigenous polling station." When a village has multiple polling stations, one or more will be designated for indigenous voters by the local township office. However, if only one indigenous person resides in a village, that individual will need to travel to a different village's designated polling station to cast their vote.

In Hsinchu County, the upcoming election includes the positions of county magistrate, county councilors, township mayors, township councilors, and village chiefs. Currently, the county has 20,066 registered mountain indigenous voters and 3,799 plains indigenous voters. Eight townships, encompassing 12 villages, have only one indigenous resident each, affecting 6 mountain indigenous voters and 12 plains indigenous voters who will need to vote at designated stations in different villages.