Taiwan’s elections just wrapped up, and as a young democracy with its first elections held in 1996, Taiwan has shown the best of what a democracy can be. Even without absentee ballots, the election was still able to get over 70% voter turnout – a simply amazing stat. Many Taiwanese nationals living overseas flew back in order to have their voices heard in the election. Taiwan also enabled more people to vote by holding its elections on a Saturday so that people did not need to miss work in order to perform their civic duties.

We asked Eric Tsai, a local Taiwanese citizen and producer at TaiwanPlus, for his views regarding Taiwan’s election and he shared, “Seeing elections in Taiwan feels different than the United States – the high level of transparency, but also the calls for unity. What impressed me the most and made me happiest were how much the concession speeches talked about working together. Whether or not it happens may be different, but to see leaders of the opposition call for a brighter future is a sign that Taiwan’s democracy will thrive.”

With our own elections coming up soon in 2024, we should strive to reach what Taiwan was able to achieve. Although there are many differences between Taiwan and the United States, we are both proud democratic countries and each citizen needs to have their voice heard. Regardless of which party wins, we need to unite together afterwards and work towards a better and brighter future.

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, the Civic Engagement team of Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL) is actively preparing to get out the Taiwanese American vote this November. We know how critical this election is, and that is why we are developing resources and investing energy into ensuring that our community can exercise our right to vote. From creating voting infographics to sharing Get out the Vote materials that can be used by each of our Taiwanese American Professionals (TAP) chapters across the country, TACL is committed to making sure our members’ voices are heard in the democratic process this fall. 

To get engaged now, visit tacl.org/vote for our current resources and stay tuned for more to come as we approach Election Day 2024. 

A couple of interesting stats about the 2024 Taiwan Election and Results shared in the infographic below: