The government is open to discussions about implementing domestic transfer voting, a type of absentee voting, in national elections and referendums, but electronic voting by Taiwanese expatriates living overseas is “absolutely unfeasible,” Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told lawmakers in a plenary session yesterday.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin I-chin (林宜瑾) said that the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus last week had proposed a referendum on whether “transfer voting” should be allowed in referendums and elections at all levels, but it failed to offer clear definitions of “absentee voting” and “transfer voting.”
Lin questioned whether it would be feasible for the government to allow electronic voting or establish overseas polling stations, given China’s attempt to undermine democracy in Taiwan.
Photo: Tyrone Siu, Reuters
In response, Cho said that the government “would neither consider, nor accept electronic voting for overseas voters at this time,” citing the potential for manipulation by hostile regimes and the serious risks such interference could pose to Taiwan’s democratic system.
Whether transfer voting should be permitted in elections remains open for public discussion, he said, adding that such a system should be limited to national elections, excluding local races.
Domestic transfer voting is a system that would allow voters who work in northern Taiwan, but have residences registered in other parts of the nation, to cast ballots at polling stations nearby, even if their household registrations are in other regions.
Domestic transfer voting could initially be tested in referendums on specific issues, but the system for elections for public office would be significantly more complex and face “great difficulties,” he added.
Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) told lawmakers that the commission and the Ministry of the Interior have consistently held that absentee voting involves many complicated factors, and if not carefully implemented, could disrupt the stability of the electoral process.
“We prefer to adopt a steady approach by trying absentee voting on issue referendums first before using it in elections of public officials,” Lee said. “Further discussions are needed on how both situations should proceed.”
TPP Legislator Lin Kuo-cheng (林國成) on the sidelines of the legislative plenary session said that his party’s proposal pertains to domestic transfer voting.
It does not apply to those residing in China or other nations, nor is it related to overseas electronic voting, he said.
In the referendum proposed by the TPP, voters would be asked whether they agree that the government should establish legal procedures within two years before implementing transfer voting in referendums and elections of all levels within the country, based on the bill that the party proposed last week.
Despite opposition from DPP lawmakers, the TPP worked with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators to pass the bill through its preliminary reading.
Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) ruled that the bill would advance to a second reading and undergo further negotiations among caucuses.
Absentee voting can take several forms, including mail-in voting, proxy voting, early voting, transfer voting or allowing absentees to cast ballots at designated polling stations.
Under the transfer voting model, voters who are unable to return to their registered residence on election day would be allowed to vote at a precinct near their place of residence, provided they apply in advance within a specified period.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
RSS