Taipei: The Central Election Commission (CEC) has declared that Taiwan will hold elections for 11,051 local officials on November 28, as part of the country's nine-in-one local elections. An estimated 19.65 million citizens are expected to be eligible to vote in this significant democratic event.
According to Focus Taiwan, CEC Chairman Michael You highlighted the scale of the upcoming elections, indicating that if referendums are conducted in conjunction with the local elections, the process would necessitate the involvement of over 300,000 election workers. This was revealed during a news conference held by the CEC, where You addressed questions before the official election announcement was made public.
The nine-in-one elections encompass a wide range of public offices, including city and county mayors, local council members, and various other local positions. The election process will span 8,906 electoral districts and involve 18,244 polling stations. Around 250,000 election workers will be mobilized, not accounting for additional personnel required for any potential referendums. Out of the 19.65 million eligible voters, approximately 600,000 individuals will be voting for the first time.
With 100 days until the elections, You emphasized the commitment of the CEC and local election bodies to ensure a professional and seamless electoral process. This effort aims to showcase Taiwan's democratic strength and maturity to its citizens and the international community.
Originally, the CEC intended to review three referendum proposals passed by the Legislature last week at an upcoming meeting. However, due to receiving official notice from the Legislative Yuan late, the review has been postponed to August 28. The CEC will then conduct a comprehensive review of the proposals, following legal protocols.
In response to inquiries about the potential approval of the referendum proposals, You reiterated that decisions are made collectively by all eight CEC commissioners, with no conclusions reached as yet. He also referenced the 2022 local elections, which included a referendum on constitutional amendments, noting that vote counting was completed by 11:40 p.m. that year. He speculated that if multiple referendums coincide with this year's local elections, the counting process could extend past midnight.