Taiwan's government is launching a tough crackdown on vote-buying and foreign meddling ahead of local elections and a national referendum, which is good news for voters worried about election fairness but bad news for anyone running illegal vote-buying operations.

• Interior Minister Liu Shih-fang ordered police nationwide to step up checks on vote-buying, gambling rings, and violence tied to the election.
• Prosecutors have already opened over 6,400 election-crime cases, including more than 2,300 vote-buying cases and dozens under the anti-infiltration law.
• Police are also targeting foreign money and local go-betweens trying to influence the vote, aiming to cut off illegal funding from abroad.
• A new system is being rolled out to catch and quickly take down AI deepfake videos used to smear candidates.

Outlook: Expect heavier police activity and more prosecutions as the election nears, with authorities pushing to keep voting day itself calm and secure.