TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan will elect 11,051 local officials on Nov. 28, the Central Election Commission announced Thursday as it formally launched the 2026 local election process.
CNA reported that commission Chair You Ying-lung (游盈隆) said the elections will cover 8,906 electoral districts and use 18,244 polling stations. About 19.65 million people are expected to be eligible to vote, including more than 600,000 first-time voters.
Nearly 250,000 election workers will be needed, You said. If referendums are held on the same day, staffing could rise to more than 300,000 workers.
Election authorities will also prepare 8,906 types of ballots for the many local offices and electoral districts. You said the vote will be highly complex because of the large number of offices, ballot types, polling stations, and workers involved.
You said election authorities will work to ensure voting runs smoothly. He added that free elections are central to democracy and thanked election workers for helping organize the vote.
Possible referendums could add to the workload on election day. The Legislative Yuan on Aug. 14 approved three referendum proposals on legalizing caning, ending the nuclear-free homeland policy, and using traffic fines specifically to improve road safety.
The commission postponed its review of the proposals from Friday to Aug. 28 after receiving the legislature's documents later than expected.
