KMT Adopts Vote-Allocation System for Taipei City Council Race for First Time
Taiwan's opposition KMT is rolling out a new vote-splitting system for Taipei city council races this year, a sign the party is worried about a tight fight.
- The KMT is running 33 candidates for Taipei city council and will for the first time tell supporters how to divide their votes.
- Voters get assigned by ID number, birth month, or season depending on how many candidates run in their district, so no one candidate soaks up too many votes.
- Two districts, Neihu-Nangang and Zhongzheng-Wanhua, keep the older system of assigning party members to specific neighborhoods.
- The KMT and the smaller TPP are still feeling out how far to cooperate; Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an may appear at joint TPP rallies but not solo events.
- Candidates have been told not to attack each other or spread smears within the party.
Outlook: Expect more coordination between the KMT and TPP as the year-end local elections approach, with both sides trying to avoid splitting the anti-DPP vote.