Taiwanese voters will decide on 10 referendum questions on Nov. 24. Here’s how it all works.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/11/07
By: Guy Redmer

Credit: Reuters / Tyrone Siu

Referendum is defined as a proposed public measure subject to popular vote by the electorate. The root word alone, refer, captures the meaning of a decision being referred to the general public rather than their elected representatives.

Taiwan’s Referendum Act (公民投票法) allows for voters to make decisions on issues such as gay marriage and nuclear power. On this year’s Election Day, Nov. 24, Taiwanese voters will face no fewer than ten such questions. This is an unusually large number. The reasons for it come down to a few very recent events.

How does the Referendum Act work following its reform in 2017?
Taiwan’s original Referendum Act, passed in 2003, included hurdles that were very difficult to surmount. Most notably, it stipulated that any provision could only pass if the number of participating voters was at least 50 percent of the electorate in the last presidential election (hereafter termed “the electorate”).    [FULL  STORY]