Members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have voiced opposition to a proposal by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to introduce absentee and mail-in voting in elections.
DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) argued that absentee voting should first be tested in referendums and implemented only after a national consensus is reached. At present, election law requires voters to cast their ballots in the location of their household registration. Those who move elsewhere for school or work must travel back home to vote. The KMT’s proposal would allow citizens to vote from anywhere in Taiwan.
Wu also raised concerns about mail-in voting, which would be introduced alongside absentee voting, warning that it could pose national security risks if ballots were permitted from China, where many Taiwanese work or study. Echoing her concerns, Taiwan Economic Democracy Union convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) warned that mail-in voting could open the door to interference from the Chinese Communist Party.
“Beijing could use financial pressure to mobilize Taiwanese doing business in China to vote for certain candidates or political parties it favors,” Lai said.
KMT Legislator Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) disagreed, pointing out that many democracies, including the US, have absentee voting, and Taiwan could follow a similar path.
Both arguments have merit: Absentee and mail-in voting are widely practiced in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Japan and South Korea, yet Taiwan faces unique security challenges. Chinese interference in Taiwan’s elections is well-documented.
However, these challenges are not unique to Taiwan. The US, Canada and the UK have all reported attempts at foreign interference in elections, most often attributed to China and Russia. Disallowing absentee or mail-in voting would not eliminate these threats.
Nonetheless, steps can be taken to reduce voter fraud and election interference while expanding access. Mail-in voting from China should simply not be allowed. Taiwan has no representative office in China and there is no reliable way to verify that ballots sent from the nation are genuine and not tampered with. To ensure election integrity, domestic in-person absentee voting could be implemented, while mail-in ballots from abroad would be restricted.
Other safeguards could include continuing to require paper ballots to be submitted at designated secure polling stations, conducting post-election audits and keeping all voting systems offline. The Central Election Commission could also lead media literacy campaigns to help voters verify candidate-related information online, and establish anonymous channels for reporting suspected vote-buying or election fraud.
Absentee voting would benefit Taiwan’s democracy, particularly given the mobility of its population. A significant portion of the 15 million working-age adults and 1.07 million students live away from the address listed on their household registration.
The DPP should consider embracing absentee voting, provided it is implemented securely, as it could improve voter participation. In last year’s presidential election, turnout was 71.86 percent of registered voters, while in the 2022 local “nine-in-one” elections turnout fell to as low as 58 percent in some municipalities. Many citizens are unable — or unwilling — to travel home due to work, school or financial constraints. Disallowing absentee voting effectively excludes them from the democratic process.
While mail-in voting carries security risks, domestic in-person absentee voting can be conducted as securely as the current system. The DPP should engage with the opposition to explore a compromise that preserves security while allowing greater participation. Implementing secure absentee voting would respect the rights of mobile citizens, strengthen democracy and modernize the electoral system to reflect the realities of today’s population.
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