Taipei: A total of 19,695 candidates have registered for 11,051 positions in the nine-in-one local elections on Nov. 28, including 26 Chinese spouses naturalized as Taiwan nationals, Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman Michael You said at a news conference. The CEC and local election commissions are set to complete candidate eligibility reviews by Oct. 16, with number drawing scheduled for Oct. 23.
According to Focus Taiwan, candidate registration closed on Sept. 4. Compared to the 2022 local elections, the total number of candidates has decreased slightly by 130, while the number of Chinese-spouse candidates increased by seven, You noted. These changes align with long-term trends since the inception of the nine-in-one local elections in 2014, reflecting stable political engagement over the past 12 years, he added.
Among the 26 Chinese-spouse candidates, two are running for councilor positions in the six special municipalities, two for county councilor, one for township head, two for township councilor, and 19 for ward chiefs, You detailed. He assured that the eligibility of all candidates would be determined based on current laws, addressing concerns about a former celebrity candidate with a complex residency status.
In parallel with the local elections, a national referendum on whether to abolish the government's nuclear-free homeland policy will take place, following approval by the opposition-led Legislature and the CEC on Aug. 28. However, two other referendum proposals-judicial caning and allocation of traffic fine revenue for road safety and public transport-were rejected by the CEC as they did not align with the Referendum Act's Article 2 stipulations.