CEC announces Nov. 28 election of 11,051 local officials

Taipei, Aug. 20 (CNA) The Central Election Commission (CEC) on Thursday announced that 11,051 officials will be elected in Taiwan's nine-in-one local elections on Nov. 28, with around 19.65 million people expected to be eligible to vote.

CEC Chairman Michael You (游盈隆) said that if the local elections are held alongside referendums, more than 300,000 election workers would be needed, making the vote an extremely large-scale democratic exercise.

You made the remarks at a CEC news conference Thursday morning, where he answered reporters' questions before the commission posted the election announcement on its bulletin board.

The nine-in-one elections, as they are commonly known, cover city and county mayoral posts, local council seats and other local public offices.

The elections will involve 8,906 electoral districts and 18,244 polling stations, with nearly 250,000 election workers to be mobilized, excluding personnel needed for any referendums, You said.

Of the 19.65 million eligible voters, around 600,000 will be casting ballots for the first time, he added.

With 100 days to go before the Nov. 28 vote, You said the CEC and local election commissions would work to ensure the elections are conducted professionally and smoothly, demonstrating the vitality, maturity and resilience of Taiwan's democracy to both the public and the international community.

The CEC had originally planned to review three referendum proposals passed by the Legislature last week at a meeting Friday.

However, You said the commission received the Legislative Yuan's official notice only late Tuesday, leaving insufficient time to prepare for the review.

The meeting has therefore been postponed to Aug. 28, when the CEC will conduct a full review of the proposals in accordance with the law, he said.

Asked how many of the three referendum proposals might be approved, You stressed that the CEC operates under a collegial system and that all eight commissioners make such decisions collectively.

No conclusions have been reached at this stage, he said.

Regarding the timing of vote counting if the local elections are held alongside referendums, You cited the 2022 local elections, which were held concurrently with a referendum on constitutional amendments.

Vote counting that year was completed at 11:40 p.m., he said, adding that if two referendum votes are held this year, counting could continue past midnight, while three referendums could push the process even later.