Covid-19 rules threaten thousands of votes in Taiwan local elections

Electors who test positive from Monday will breach quarantine if they head to the polls, risking fines of up to US$32,000

Around 75,000 voters could be affected, with some lawmakers and human rights groups calling the decision unjustified

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More than 19 million people are expected to vote in Taiwan’s local elections on the weekend, but Covid-19 quarantine rules will deny some electors the right to cast their ballot. Photo: AP

Published: 7:00pm, 21 Nov 2022

The Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on Taiwan’s local elections, with voters barred from casting their ballots in the weekend’s polls if they are infected or risk fines of up to NT$2 million (US$32,000).

An estimated 75,000 voters will be affected by the restrictions, according to the Central Epidemic Command Centre, based on current rates of infection and excluding those aged under 20 who are not eligible to vote.

The island has reported some 129,000 infections in the past week, with a daily average of 18,400.

Under the current “5+n” rules, confirmed Covid-19 patients must quarantine at home for five days and can return to their usual activities after that with a negative test result. Anyone who tests positive from Monday – zero-day – will need to isolate until at least Saturday.

“This is in line with the communicable disease prevention law and is also to safeguard the health of the general public as other voters could also catch the disease in the polling stations if those infected are allowed to go cast the ballots,” a command centre official said on Monday.