CEC chair nominee urges caution on absentee voting

Taipei, Jan. 28 (CNA) Michael You (游盈隆), the nominee for chairperson of the Central Election Commission (CEC), said Wednesday that any move toward absentee voting should proceed gradually due to implementation challenges.

Answering questions at the Legislative Yuan, You said the main risks associated with absentee voting lie in execution rather than foreign interference, describing the system as highly complex.

Introducing absentee voting ahead of November's local elections would "certainly be a disaster," he said, suggesting Taiwan first apply the mechanism to referendums to gain experience.

Asked about eligibility issues involving candidates with cross-strait backgrounds, You said the CEC supports political participation rights but that the relevant legal framework remains unclear.

You also backed holding elections and referendums on the same day, saying amendments to the Referendum Act would help prevent a repeat of the ballot-counting disruptions seen in 2018.

These include extending the minimum period between a referendum announcement and voting from one month to three months, and reducing the required proportion of civil servants, public school teachers and military personnel among election workers from one-half to one-third.

Currently chairman of the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation, You said he would step down if confirmed.

He was nominated on Dec. 22, along with Soochow University law professor Hu Po-yen (胡博硯) as vice chairperson.

Other nominees for commissioner include former lawmaker Huang Wen-ling (黃文玲), former Taoyuan County mayor Chen Tsung-yi (陳宗義), China University of Science and Technology Vice President Lee Li-chung (李禮仲), Fooyin University professor Su Jia-hong (蘇嘉宏) and Soochow University professor Su Tzu-chiao (蘇子喬).

The CEC currently lacks enough commissioners to convene meetings, adding urgency to legislative approval before the current session ends Friday.