Shielding Taiwan¡¯s elections from potential interference by China is such a concern for the self-governing democracy that it¡¯s been willing for years to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of eligible voters to do so.
What bars so many from casting ballots is Taiwan¡¯s insistence that all voting be done in person, a rule that¡¯s been in place since the island of 23 million people first began direct elections almost three decades ago.
Among those kept from voting as a result are police officers and medical workers who can¡¯t leave their posts. It also means Taiwanese living abroad must take time off from work and buy air tickets if they want to vote. Taiwan¡¯s diaspora totaled some 2 million people, including children, in 2022, according to the island¡¯s Overseas Community Affairs Council.
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