Taiwan is in the thick of election season as the presidential election on January 13 approaches. However, voters will also be casting votes for both local legislative candidates, as well as a party vote. The various parties recently descended on the Central Election Commission to see where they would appear on the ballot.
Video script:
Huang Shan-Shan (黃珊珊) shakes hands with Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), both are here representing their political parties, as they draw lots to decide in which order they will appear on the voting ballot.
This January, voters in Taiwan will not only be voting for president but also for legislators. They will have a choice of candidates for their district, but will also be making a party vote. The party vote is proportional, and parties will be awarded legislative seats based on the number of votes their party receives. Today, party representatives have arrived to draw lots to determine in which order they will appear on the ballot itself.
Huang Shan-Shan, who is first on the party list for the TPP, is representing her party in the draw. For the KMT, its former Kaohsiung mayor and 2020 KMT presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu.
Among the three main parties with presidential candidates, Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) TPP drew number 12, Hou Yu-ih’s (侯友宜) KMT drew number nine, and the ruling DPP led by candidate Lai Ching-te (賴清德) drew number six.
Several other smaller parties drew their lots as well, often claiming their number is auspicious or making Chinese-language puns with the number. As the election draws near, Taiwanese voters will certainly have a lot to talk about in the coming weeks.