TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan will hold a crucial vote on Saturday (July 26) on whether to recall 24 members of the Legislative Yuan, the country's national legislature, and the mayor of Hsinchu City. In the lead-up to the vote, the Central Election Commission (中選會) and local election authorities have urged citizens to understand the rules on casting votes, prohibited behavior, and the requirements for recalls to succeed. With political tensions likely to be high, special rules will come into play that day, and violations could lead to hefty fines or even imprisonment.
Township and district offices will deliver election bulletins and voting notifications by today (July 24). As the recall election day is a statutory holiday, employers are required to grant employees working this Saturday a day off. Voting will occur from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and voters must bring their national ID, personal seal, and the voting notification to cast their ballot.
Mobile phones and other photographic devices are prohibited inside polling stations unless turned off, and violators of this rule face fines up to NT$300,000. Yaozhang Huang (黃堯章), deputy secretary-general of the New Taipei City Election Commission (新北市選委會), says that beginning from midnight on Friday, anyone who participates in recall-related activity or posts online (including on social media) about the recall could also be fined between NT$100,000 and NT$2 million.
Voters must use the designated tools at polling stations to mark their ballot; using other stamps or a fingerprint will invalidate the ballot. Tearing a ballot can result in fines up to NT$50,000, while unauthorized removal of ballots may lead to a one-year prison sentence or a NT$15,000 fine. The authorities have also banned any disturbances, loud noise-making, or activity to persuade voters within 30 meters of a polling station. Those who persist after warnings from security guards risk up to one year in prison or a fine of NT$15,000.