Taipei: Michael You, the nominee for chairperson of the Central Election Commission (CEC), said Wednesday that any move toward absentee voting should proceed gradually due to implementation challenges.
According to Focus Taiwan, You emphasized during a session at the Legislative Yuan that the primary risks associated with absentee voting are related to execution rather than foreign interference, noting the system’s high complexity. He expressed concerns that introducing absentee voting ahead of the November local elections could lead to significant issues, advocating instead for a trial application in referendums to build experience.
He addressed questions regarding eligibility issues for candidates with cross-strait backgrounds, expressing the CEC’s support for political participation rights but also highlighting the unclear legal framework governing such matters.
You further supported the idea of holding elections and referendums on the same day. He argued that amendments to the Referendum Act would help avoid ballot-counting disruptions similar to those experienced in 2018. Proposed changes include extending the minimum period between a referendum announcement and voting from one month to three months, and decreasing the required proportion of civil servants, public school teachers, and military personnel among election workers from one-half to one-third.
Currently the chairman of the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation, You stated he would resign from his position if confirmed as CEC chair. He was nominated on December 22, alongside Soochow University law professor Hu Po-yen as vice chairperson.
Other nominees for commissioner roles include former lawmaker Huang Wen-ling, former Taoyuan County mayor Chen Tsung-yi, China University of Science and Technology Vice President Lee Li-chung, Fooyin University professor Su Jia-hong, and Soochow University professor Su Tzu-chiao.
The urgency for legislative approval of these nominations is heightened as the CEC currently lacks enough commissioners to convene meetings, with the current legislative session ending Friday.