Polls open for presidential and legislative voting in Taiwan elections

Taiwan's crucial presidential and legislative elections commenced at 8 a.m. on Saturday (13 Jan), with polling stations nationwide welcoming voters until 4 p.m.

The election features three presidential candidates: Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) with running mate Wu Hsin-ying, incumbent Vice President Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) with Hsiao Bi-khim, and Kuomintang's (KMT) Hou Yu-ih with Jaw Shau-kong.

Hou Yu-ih advocates re-engagement with China through people-to-people exchanges and accuses Lai Ching-te of supporting Taiwan's formal independence, a claim Lai refutes by labeling Hou as pro-Beijing. With President Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP barred from a third term due to constitutional limits, the election promises a new chapter for Taiwan.

Ko Wen-je has garnered a substantial following, particularly among younger voters, by addressing key issues like housing affordability. He also supports re-engagement with China but emphasizes the protection of Taiwan's democracy and way of life.

Interestingly, many first-time voters have expressed their commitment to participating in this election. Although voting in Taiwan is not compulsory, the previous election in 2020 saw a turnout of nearly 75% of the eligible population. In that election, President Tsai Ing-wen and Lai Ching-te secured a commanding victory with over 8.17 million votes, defeating the KMT and the People First Party.

The 2020 legislative elections also saw the DPP securing a majority with 61 seats, followed by the KMT with 38, and other parties like the TPP, the New Power Party, and the Taiwan Statebuilding Party gaining seats as well.

This year's election is significant, with over 1 million first-time voters aged between 20 and 23, accounting for nearly 6% of the overall voting population. Alongside the presidential and vice-presidential elections, 113 legislative seats are up for grabs, including district lawmakers, indigenous lawmakers, and legislators-at-large.

Sixteen political parties, including the DPP, KMT, and TPP, are vying for the 34 legislator-at-large seats, which are allocated to parties receiving at least 5% of the total party vote.

Approximately 19.55 million voters in Taiwan are eligible to vote, with the six largest cities accounting for almost 70% of the total. A total of 17,795 polling stations opened across Taiwan, set to close at 4 p.m., followed by immediate vote counting.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has issued guidelines for voters, including the requirement to bring identification, personal seals, and election notifications. Mobile phones and cameras are prohibited in polling stations, with violators facing fines. The CEC expects to announce election results later in the evening, continuing the tradition set in the 2020 elections when results were declared at 10:33 p.m. on election day.

The newly elected president and vice president are set to be sworn in on May 20, while elected legislators will take office on 1 February.