TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Electoral authorities in Taiwan are mulling whether to postpone four referendums this year after the Level 3 COVID-19 restrictions were extended to July 12.

Taiwan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) said Wednesday (June 23) the prolonged alert measure will have a great impact on the preparation for the plebiscites slated for Aug. 28. A discussion will be held for the issue in early July, tentatively set for July 2.

How other countries have hosted elections during the coronavirus pandemic will serve as a reference for Taiwan in its decision to proceed with or delay the vote, wrote CNA.

The four referendums set to be conducted this year include putting the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant into service, banning the import of ractopamine-laden pork, allowing referendums to concur with a national election, and relocating the CPC LNG terminal from the proposed algal reef site off the coast of Datan.

There are supposed to be five debate sessions for each issue between July 24 and Aug. 21.

A referendum will be passed when one-fourth of eligible voters are in agreement, but only so long as the assenters surpass those who disagree in the tally. In the case of a 2018 referendum, 4.95 million votes were required.