Taipei and New Taipei election commissions back CEC in opposing combined referendum ballots

Aug 26, 2026

Taiwan's opposition parties are pushing a law to print all referendum questions on a single ballot, and election officials warn it will create chaos at polling stations.

  • The KMT and TPP want one ballot for multiple referendum questions, and plan to force it through the legislature.
  • Central Election Commission chief You Ying-lung called the idea a guaranteed disaster, and the Taipei and New Taipei commissions agree.
  • Election staff say voters would lose the right to accept or refuse individual referendum ballots, which may be illegal.
  • Counting gets messy too: one wrong mark could void a voter's answers on every question on the sheet.
  • The KMT says the real problem is the commission's own counting process and poor staff training, not what the opposition is proposing.

Outlook: The bill could clear its final reading within days if cross-party talks fail, setting up a fight over how the next referendums are run.

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