Taiwan’s upcoming "nine-in-one" local elections, scheduled for the end of November, will feature a unique addition: up to six national referendum proposals. The Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which currently hold a combined majority in the legislature, intend to initiate these referendums through a chamber resolution rather than following the traditional route of gathering signatures from the general public.
Among the proposed issues is the future of nuclear energy. The KMT is pushing to abolish policies aimed at creating a nuclear-free homeland. Although Taiwan’s final operating nuclear reactor was decommissioned in May 2025 following a post-Fukushima phase-out, the current Lai administration has submitted plans to restart two reactors, citing concerns over energy supply stability—particularly regarding liquefied natural gas vulnerability during a potential blockade and the high energy demands of the semiconductor industry. While the Lai administration maintains its long-term goal of phasing out nuclear power, this policy shift may impact the momentum of the KMT's referendum.
The KMT has also introduced proposals regarding the justice system, including a referendum on capital punishment. Despite a September 2024 Constitutional Court ruling that limited the scope of the death penalty, it remains legal in Taiwan, with one execution occurring in January 2025. A previous attempt by the KMT to hold a referendum on the matter was rejected by the Central Election Commission (CEC) in 2025. Additionally, the KMT is advocating for a referendum on implementing corporal punishment, or caning, for crimes such as child abuse, sexual assault, and fraud. Another punitive proposal from the KMT would be to hold a referendum on the implementation of caning as a punishment for serious crimes such as child abuse, sexual assault, and fraud. This is an unusual proposal, seeing as there was no previous demand from society that caning should be implemented as a legal punishment in order to deter crime. While KMT chair Cheng Li-wun reportedly attempted to remove this from the agenda due to concerns that it conflicts with ratified human rights conventions, the party's legislative caucus insisted on its inclusion.
A fourth proposal involves the legalization of medical euthanasia. While the topic has gained traction in recent discussions, there is currently no clear social consensus, and support does not align strictly with party lines, making the referendum a potential gauge of public opinion. The TPP has contributed two additional proposals. The first calls for allocating traffic violation fines to local governments for road safety improvements, a move that critics suggest could be handled through standard legislation rather than a referendum. This proposal emerges amidst ongoing budget disputes between the pan-Blue controlled legislature and the pan-Green central government.
Finally, the TPP has proposed a measure to allow absentee voting for national elections. The sixth proposal, on absentee voting, was also advanced by the TPP. The proposal would allow absentee voting for national elections – although it would not permit voting from overseas, which would be highly contentious. There have been long fears about the impact on Taiwanese elections if taishang, Taiwanese businessmen residing in China, were allowed to vote from overseas. It is often assumed that they would vote in line with what China wants or that this could open the door to Chinese election interference. CEC chair Michael You has expressed concerns that this could lead to administrative chaos. Both the KMT and DPP have historically built their political machines around the existing system, where voters are registered in areas where they do not necessarily reside, making both parties cautious about systemic changes. To prevent the confusion and long voting lines experienced in 2018, the KMT and TPP have proposed legislation to consolidate multiple referendum questions onto a single ballot.
