Taiwan’s local elections – often referred to as “nine-in-one elections,” due to voting taking place simultaneously for nine different kinds of positions – will soon be upon us, with voting scheduled for the end of November. Alongside the elections, however, a number of referendum issues will also be voted on nationally.
The referendums are advanced by the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), the opposition parties currently in control of the legislature. However, unlike past referendums, the KMT and TPP will not campaign with the general public for signatures to get these motions on the ballot. Instead, the KMT and TPP intend to use their combined majority in the legislature to initiate the referendums as a chamber resolution. Consequently, six referendums will take place simultaneously with the local elections.
One issue that is to be voted on is a familiar one – nuclear energy. Specifically, the KMT calls for the abolishment of policies to enact a nuclear-free homeland. Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, Taiwan has been phasing out the use of nuclear power by not extending the lifespan of nuclear reactors. Taiwan’s last operating nuclear reactor thus shut down in May 2025.
