Despite public concern over potential voter manipulation by China forces, the Cabinet yesterday approved amendments to make way for absentee voting in presidential elections and referendums.
The Cabinet passed proposed amendments to the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act (總統副總統選舉罷免法) and the Referendum Act (公民投票法) to allow voters to cast ballots in alternative polling stations.
According to the amendments, any qualified voter can vote in a polling station in a city or country where they have not established voting residency, as long as they apply to do so three months before the voting day.
It is estimated that less than 5 percent of the electorate would apply for absentee voting, Huang Li-hsin (黃麗馨), director-general of the Ministry of the Interior’s Department of Civil Affairs, told a press conference held after the Cabinet meeting.
About 1.34 million people, or 7.3 percent of the nation’s 18.34 million eligible voters, might have to vote in alternative polling stations, she said.
These would include 190,000 election workers, 60,000 police officers and 220,000 military personnel on duty during voting day, as well as 550,000 employees and 320,000 students who live in a city or country where they have not established voting residency, she added.
The proposals have met with concern that Beijing could influence the vote of China-based Taiwanese businesspeople, such as demanding that they vote in Kinmen or Matsu, which have fewer voters, so it is easier to guess who they voted for.
Huang said the ministry had addressed these concerns by not including overseas absentee ballots and mail-in ballots, which are more vulnerable to external influences.
The amendment to the Referendum Act also excludes absentee voting in a national referendum when the plebiscite is initiated by the president in accordance with Article 17 of the act, Huang said.
Article 17 states that the president may call for a referendum if the nation’s security is under threat. Given the urgency of the situation, there will not be enough time to handle applications for absentee voting, Huang added.
Executive Yuan spokesperson Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) told the Cabinet meeting at the absentee voting system would allow greater public participation and strengthen democracy.
The US House of Representatives yesterday passed the PROTECT Taiwan Act, which stipulates that Washington would exclude China from participating in major global financial organizations if its actions directly threaten Taiwan’s security. The bill, proposed by Republican US Representative Frank Lucas, passed with 395 votes in favor and two against. It stipulates that if China’s actions pose any threat to Taiwan’s security, economic or social systems, the US would, “to the maximum extent practicable,” exclude China from international financial institutions, including the G20, the Bank for International Settlements and the Financial Stability Board. The bill makes it clear that China
Garbage and recycling schedules are to vary from Saturday through Sunday next week over the Lunar New Year holiday period. The following collection information is from the governments of the six special municipalities. Taipei Regular service: Sunday to Monday next week. No service: Tuesday to Thursday next week. Extra service: Friday next week. Regular service resumes: Saturday next week. New Taipei City Extra service: Sunday. Adjusted collection time: Monday next week — garbage collection is to begin in the morning and end at 6pm. No service: Tuesday to Thursday next week. Regular service resumes: Friday next week. Note: Garbage can be dropped off at 70
A KFC branch in Kaohsiung may be fined between NT$60,000 and NT$200 million (US$1,907 and US$6.37 million), after a customer yesterday found an entire AAA battery inside an egg tart, the Kaohsiung Department of Health said today. The customer was about to microwave a box of egg tarts they had bought at the fast-food restaurant’s Nanzih (楠梓) branch when they checked the bottom and saw a dark shadow inside one of them, they said in a Threads post. The customer filmed themself taking the egg tart apart to reveal an entire AAA battery inside, which apparently showed signs of damage. Surveillance footage showed
GROUP EFFORT: The number of inbound travelers rose 11 to 12 percent last month, with a significant increase in tourists from Europe and North America, an official said The government aims to attract 9.4 million visitors this year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday, citing last year’s success in diversifying tourist markets. Taiwan last year drew about 8.57 million international arrivals, 72.3 percent of pre-COVID-19 levels. By contrast, the nation had about 18.94 million outbound tourists last year, surpassing the pre-COVID-19 level of 17.1 million. The estimated tourism revenue deficit was about NT$700.9 billion (US$22.22 billion). Taoyuan International Airport Corp expects more than 160,000 passengers to pass through the nation’s largest airport daily during the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins on Saturday. As of Jan. 30, the nation’s average hotel occupancy rate
RSS