TaiwanPlus is committed to delivering balanced, independent English-language reporting on Taiwan’s presidential elections. Here’s how we make it happen:
1. What happens in the TaiwanPlus newsroom on election day?
TaiwanPlus will have reporters in the field from when the polls open at 8 a.m. until a winner is announced on election night, bringing timely and accurate information to our viewers. They will spend the day interviewing voters, bringing you the latest from the campaign headquarters, and providing immediate reactions as the results roll in. Our election coverage can be found on social media and in six hours of live television programming, featuring commentary from a diverse range of experts:
4 p.m.-6 p.m.: Taiwan Talks
6 p.m.-9 p.m.: Taiwan Votes
9 p.m.-10 p.m.: Taiwan Connects
2. How are votes counted in Taiwan?
Taiwan’s president is elected by popular vote, with the winner determined by a simple majority of the total vote. Voters will also be able to cast two ballots in the legislative race: (1) for a candidate in their district (or for an Indigenous candidate, if the voter is Indigenous), and (2) for party list, or “at large” candidates. The district and Indigenous candidates are elected by a simple majority in each race, for a total of 73 and 6 seats, respectively. The remaining 34 seats in the 113-seat legislature are apportioned based on the total votes each party receives in the party list vote. For more information, watch our explainer on Taiwan’s legislative elections.
Vote counting is entirely manual — voters use paper ballots, not electronic voting machines, and ballots are counted by hand. The vote counting system is public and highly transparent. Polling staff take out each ballot, read their results aloud and mark a tally. Anyone can watch the process and call out errors.
After counting at voting stations is completed, a report is posted on a bulletin board outside the station, and couriers deliver results to local electoral operation centers where they are entered into the Central Election Commission (CEC)’s computing system.
There is no system for absentee voting in Taiwan. Voters must cast their ballot at the district where their household is registered. Final results for the presidential and legislative races are expected on election night.
3. How does TaiwanPlus get its vote count?
TaiwanPlus’ Decision 2024 page will include a live vote count for the presidential race with results updated every 30 seconds. In addition to the official tally from the CEC, the Taiwan Broadcasting System (a public media group of which TaiwanPlus is a member) is sending 1,500 people to collect results from polling stations in the nation’s six largest municipalities. That will enable us to offer faster results than the CEC early in the vote count. Once the CEC results catch up, we will prioritize the official numbers.
4. When will TaiwanPlus call a winner in the presidential race?
TaiwanPlus will only announce a winner in the presidential election once the leading candidate has enough votes to win, or concession speeches are made. We will offer live interpretation of concession and victory speeches during our election specials. If results are unclear, we will wait for the official announcement of winners from the CEC. Results from the CEC are final.
5. Does TaiwanPlus make vote projections?
TaiwanPlus does not make vote projections. Vote projections are normally based on exit polls, which are not permitted in Taiwan.
6. Where can I find the latest polling data?
The CEC requires a blackout of opinion polling ten days before the vote to protect the integrity of the election.
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For the latest updates on the race and candidates in English, visit our election website.
Election Inquiries:
ryanna.chouman@taiwanplus.com