TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) cast his vote Saturday (Aug. 23) in the southern city of Tainan for a crucial referendum on restarting the island's third nuclear power plant. The president arrived at Anping Junior High School's polling station at 9:25 a.m., finding himself the only voter present at the facility during the morning hours. His participation marked a significant moment in Taiwan's ongoing energy policy debate amid growing concerns over electricity supply.
President Lai completed his voting process in under two minutes due to the characteristically light morning turnout at the polling station. He greeted waiting media representatives with a warm smile and expressed gratitude to election workers and officials present at the venue. The president then engaged in brief discussions with prominent local officials including Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲), Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲), and Deputy Mayor Ye Ze-shan (葉澤山) before departing.
President Lai then proceeded to Cigu district in Tainan to inspect the ongoing progress of post-typhoon reconstruction efforts throughout the affected areas. He focused his attention on assessing the restoration of damaged homes and reviewing the allocation of special government budgets designated for comprehensive disaster recovery operations. The visit underscored the administration's commitment to supporting communities impacted by recent severe weather events.