TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Central Election Commission (CEC, 中央選舉委員會), the independent government body overseeing elections and referendums, has imposed a strict blackout on the publication or reference to recall poll results. The ban begins midnight Wednesday (July 16) and extends through the conclusion of the upcoming vote. The prohibition, mandated under the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), carries severe financial penalties for transgressors, with maximum fines reaching NT$2 million (approximately US$68,168).
Taiwanese citizens will cast ballots next Saturday (July 26) in a sweeping recall initiative targeting 24 national legislators and Hsinchu City Mayor Kao Hung-an (高虹安), who is currently suspended from office. The electoral regulations specify comprehensive transparency requirements for recall polling. All polls conducted between the official announcement and 10 days before voting must disclose methodological information such as the research organization, principal investigator, survey timing, sampling techniques, target population, number of respondents, statistical error margins, and financial backers.
Election officials have issued stern cautions regarding penalties for infractions of Article 110, Paragraph 6 of the electoral legislation. Individual violators could incur financial sanctions ranging from NT$100,000 (US$3,408) to NT$1 million (US$34,084). The penalties escalate significantly for political organizations or their representatives, with fines between NT$200,000 (US$6,817) and NT$2 million (US$68,168). The commission has explicitly prohibited any campaign activities promoting recalls or influencing voters on the actual voting day, warning that such actions will trigger formal investigations and potential legal consequences.
The electoral authority also revealed plans for an upcoming national referendum scheduled for August 23. Designated as Proposal No. 21, the ballot measure will ask voters to decide on the potential restart of operations at the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant (第三核能發電廠), Taiwan's southernmost nuclear facility. Polling stations across the island will operate from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the referendum day to accommodate public participation in this significant energy policy decision. ◼
(At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$29.339)