
19.5 million people eligible to vote in 2024 election: CEC
The Central Election Commission has announced the 2024 elections, marking the official start of the race. According to commission statistics, about 19.5 million people are eligible to vote, including 1.02 million first-time voters. Taiwanese residing abroad can apply for vote reinstatement by Dec. 4. Independent presidential candidates will have to file with the CEC by this Sunday, and submit more than 290,000 signatures by Nov. 2. Eligible candidates will be announced by Nov. 14.
Central Election Commission Chairman Lee Chin-yung puts up the announcement: About 19.5 million people will be eligible to vote in the 2024 election, and 1.02 million of them will be first-timers. The CEC plans to offer nearly 18,000 polling stations, and to train about 250,000 election workers to staff them. On the day of the vote, the CEC will establish a command center to deal with issues that arise. Taiwanese living abroad have until Dec. 4 to apply to vote at the district, township or city office where their household is registered. The deadline also applies to people whose household registration has expired.
Lee Chin-yung
Central Election Commission
Some people may not have household registration because they were unable to return to Taiwan under the pandemic. After two years, household registration expires. So if two years have passed and you no longer have household registration, the same rules apply. If you want to return to Taiwan to vote, you have to apply for household registration at the last place you lived.
In the presidential election, independent candidates will have to file to run between Sept. 13 and Sept. 17, and present a petition with enough signatures by Nov. 2. The CEC will announce the outcome of the filing by Nov. 14. Each independent candidate will need at least 290,000 signatures. Direct nominations are allowed by four political parties: the DPP, KMT, the Taiwan People’s Party and the New Power Party. Terry Gou is expected to apply to run as an independent, although he’s not ruled out an alliance with the KMT or TPP. The CEC was asked if Gou can give up an independent run after being approved.
Lee Chin-yung
Central Election Commission
If he doesn’t file to run as an independent, he won’t have to drop out. Even if he does complete a filing, there won’t be any problems.
The CEC says that, with enough signatures, anyone can qualify to run for president. But as for what approved candidates choose to do afterward, that’s left entirely up to them.
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2023-09-12