TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Chu-yin (林楚茵) on Monday criticized the Kuomintang for promoting absentee voting, warning it could invite Chinese interference in Taiwan’s elections.
Lin said the KMT’s proposal to introduce absentee ballots for the 2026 local elections was tantamount to “welcoming Chinese interference.” She urged the opposition party not to forget alleged Chinese interference in its own party chair election, per Newtalk.
Citing the Central Election Commission, Lin said implementing a vote-by-mail or absentee ballot system would require extensive testing and possibly a referendum to ensure security. She warned that without proper safeguards, loopholes in such a system could allow China to exploit weaknesses and undermine Taiwan’s democracy.
Taiwan Economic Democracy Union Convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) echoed Lin’s concerns, saying China could mobilize Taiwanese businesspeople based in China to vote en masse in support of Chinese Communist Party interests, per Liberty Times. Lai noted that while the intent of such interference would be clear, finding direct evidence of illegal activity would be difficult.
Citizen Congress Watch Executive Director Leo Chang (張宏林) also cautioned that absentee voting could compromise the principle of secret ballots if extended to local elections, per Liberty Times. He warned that any perceived flaws or irregularities could erode public confidence in Taiwan’s democratic system.
The KMT defended its proposal on Sunday, noting that both the Taiwan People’s Party caucus and DPP Legislator Saidhai Tahovecahe (伍麗華) have each proposed their own versions of absentee voting for Indigenous communities, per UDN. The KMT emphasized that its version explicitly excludes voting from outside Taiwan, which it said would address concerns about foreign interference.
KMT Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) responded directly to Lin, clarifying that all versions of the KMT proposal under review prohibit absentee voting from overseas, per UDN. She said absentee ballots would only apply to voters within Taiwan who are unable to return to their registered constituencies.
Hsu added that absentee voting could enhance democratic participation by making it easier for people working or studying outside their hometowns — as well as emergency workers such as police officers, firefighters, and military personnel — to cast their ballots.
