TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Central Election Commission (中選會), the island's electoral authority, tallied votes Saturday (Aug. 23) following a contentious referendum on restarting the nation's Third Nuclear Power plant. The nuclear referendum failed despite garnering substantial support from voters, falling short of the participation threshold required under Taiwan's Referendum Act. A second wave of legislative recall elections also concluded the same day.
The referendum drew 4.34 million supporters against 1.51 million opponents, representing approximately 29.53% voter turnout across Taiwan. Taiwan's referendum law requires approval from at least a quarter of all eligible voters, approximately 5 million citizens, for any measure to pass. The pro-nuclear vote, while commanding a decisive majority, failed to reach this mandatory participation threshold.
Legislative recall elections generated significantly higher engagement, with voter turnout averaging above 45% across targeted districts. The heightened participation in these local contests contrasted sharply with the national referendum's lower turnout rates. Regional disparities emerged clearly, as New Taipei City and several other areas recorded notably weaker voter participation than more engaged districts.
Seven Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨) legislators faced recall challenges: Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才), Chiang Chi-chen (江啟臣), Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔), Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒), Lin Szu-ming (林思銘), Ma Wen-chun (馬文君), and Yu Hao (游顥). All seven lawmakers from Taiwan's main opposition party successfully withstood the recall attempts. Opposition to each measure exceeded 60% in every district, ensuring these legislators retained their seats in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, the island's parliament. ◼