At the Cabinet's weekly meeting Thursday, Premier Lai Ching-te said the upcoming local government elections and national referendums will be extremely important for the future of local autonomy and the development of democratic government in Taiwan. Holding referendums on 10 different issues alongside the elections will also bring a new level of complexity and weight to the responsibility of election organizers.
The premier made the remarks following a briefing by the Central Election Commission (CEC) on the government's preparations for election day, November 24. With the recruitment process for poll workers now completed, the CEC should help election commissions in every special municipality, county and city ensure that the elections are conducted in a fair, just and open manner, he said.
According to the CEC, this year will mark the first time that local elections are held in tandem with national referendums. A total of 15,886 polling places have been set up with 295,904 poll workers ready to assist in the opening of ballots. Citizens over the age of 18 may vote in the referendums, while those over 20 may take part in both the elections and the referendums.