The Central Election Commission (CEC) is to hold its first public hearing on synchronizing the 2016 presidential election and legislative election on Tuesday.
The hearing is to be held in Greater Taichung and comes after a recent poll conducted by the commission found that 68.4 percent of respondents were in favor of synchronizing the two elections, while 13 percent were opposed.
Another online poll to collect opinions on the proposed merger is to conclude on Thursday next week, the commission said, adding that the majority of online respondents so far have voted in favor of synchronization.
A commission official said the online polls are for reference purposes, since the final decision on the matter will be made by election authorities alone.
CEC officials are scheduled to meet next month to discuss the matter, the official said.
The eighth legislature is to end on Jan. 31 next year, so the election for the ninth legislature has to take place before Jan. 21 of that year. The president and vice president are scheduled to leave office on May 20 next year, with the presidential election to be held by April 19.
The CEC official said that a survey to gauge public sentiment toward the elections merger was conducted alongside a voter satisfaction survey between Dec. 1 and Dec. 3 last year, following the Nov. 29 nine-in-one elections. The results showed that 68.4 percent of respondents back synchronization.
The commission collected 1,071 valid samples for that survey, which had a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of plus or minus-2.99 percent.
One public hearing is to be held in each of the nation’s northern, central and southern regions. The first is to take place in Taichung on Tuesday, with the second set to be in Greater Kaohsiung on Thursday and the last scheduled to be in Taipei on Jan. 20.
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