By Sheryl Chang
For many Taiwanese, the biggest event of
Photo / Central Election Commission
First, let’s go over some basic information. This presidential election is to select the 15th President of the Republic of China. The elected president will take office on May 20, 2020. As for the Legislative Yuan members, this election is for the 10th Legislative Yuan. The elected legislators will take office on February 1, 2020.
There are three ballots to cast in this election: the presidential ballot, the district legislator ballot, and the party ballot (for at-large legislators). There are three presidential-vice presidential tickets: No. 1 is James Soong (People First Party) and Yu Hsiang (Independent); No. 2 is Han Kuo-yu (Kuomintang) and Chang San-cheng (Independent); No. 3 is Tsai Ing-wen (Democratic Progressive Party) and Lai Ching-te (Democratic Progressive Party).
There are three types of Legislative Yuan members:
The first are district legislators (73 seats).
The second are at-large legislators for the whole nation and legislators representing overseas Chinese nationals (34 seats).
The third are legislators representing indigenous peoples (three from the plains and three from the mountains, totaling six seats).
The third type is voted on by those with indigenous status, so most people will definitely receive the first two types of ballots—one for district legislators based on their registered electoral districts, and one for at-large legislators and overseas legislators allocated according to the proportion of party votes.
For the party ballot, a party must receive at least 5% of the total party vote to be eligible to receive at-large legislator seats. Each party submits a list of at-large candidates, and the 34 at-large seats are allocated based on the proportion of the party’s vote.
Therefore, when voting for a party, you generally want to first understand the party’s platform and main policies, and secondly, look into the composition of its at-large legislator list—whether they are scholars and experts from various fields, individuals with research or practical experience in specific professions, or whether the party assigns at-large seats to members of its internal factions. So it’s important to pay close attention.
This time there are 19 options on the party ballot, and the ballot paper will be quite large, so extra care is needed when marking and casting your vote. Also, please note:
1. You need to bring your voting notice, seal, and ID card to vote.
2. Do not use a personal seal when marking your ballot, as it will make your vote invalid.
3. You may not bring a mobile phone into the polling station, nor take any photos.
4. You may not wear clothing, flags, or other items that identify you with a particular candidate.
5. Please maintain silence and order at the polling place; avoid loud discussions or conversations.
6. Polling hours are from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Please be mindful of the time.
Also, recent online rumors claimed that people whose household registration addresses on their national ID cards are listed under pre-restructured old county or city names are not allowed to receive a ballot. This is untrue. The Central Election Commission has debunked this false information; that is, even if an old-style ID card lists an address such as “Taipei County” or “Taichung County,” you can still collect your ballot as usual.
The weather is turning cold with temperatures dropping to 14°C on presidential election day—check the forecast first
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