New Power Party (NPP) Kaohsiung City Councilor Huang Jie (黃捷) and other councilors yesterday reported complaints of suspected illegal activity as people in Kaohsiung headed to the polls to vote on recalling Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜).
Kaohsiung councilors and residents at the polls were on the alert for illegal activity, as media reports had said that some people claiming to “monitor” polling stations were warning people not to cast a recall ballot, which could be viewed as intimidation.
Huang said that when the polls opened at 8am, she began receiving reports of alleged election law offenses, such as people being filmed when entering the stations and other possible intimidation tactics.
Photo: Chen Wen-chan, Taipei Times
She added that she turned the complaints over to the police so that they could ensure that the voting proceeded smoothly.
“There were also election workers making misleading statements at some polling stations, falsely informing those with no voter notification that they could not vote,” Huang wrote on Facebook, adding that the instruction was incorrect — people could vote with just their national identification card.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Kaohsiung City Councilor Chiu Chun-hsien (邱俊憲) said that he received reports of alleged illegal activity at a polling station at Zhong Zhuang Elementary School in Daliao District (大寮), where a local figure known to be a fervent Han supporter was livestreaming the polling for a YouTube channel.
DPP City Councilor Kang Yu-cheng (康裕成) said that on arriving at her neighborhood school to vote, she found the borough warden at the entrance, apparently monitoring local residents coming to place their ballots, adding that the warden left soon after she discussed the matter with him.
Police said that they checked on a man at the polling station at St. Paul’s High School in Kushan District (鼓山) after complaints that he had allegedly set up his smartphone outside to record who was entering to vote.
Although the man told police that he was just taking photographs as a personal pastime, the officers said that they made him delete all of the video and images that he had taken at the school entrance that morning.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19