TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's voters head to the polls on Saturday (Jan. 13) to choose their president, vice president, district legislators, and party for at-large legislator seats. Polling stations are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with approximately 19.5 million eligible voters, including 1.03 million first-time voters, participating.
Studies suggest a connection between weather conditions and voter turnout, with poor weather potentially reducing turnout and warmer temperatures increasing it by 0.08%.
Earlier today, President Tsai Ing-wen cast her vote and emphasized the importance of preserving democratic values. The main opposition party Kuomintang's (KMT) presidential candidate, Hou Yu-ih, also voted. A third party, the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), is competing amid growing Chinese threats and a lack of confidence in the incumbent parties.
Cross-strait tensions and misinterpreted events, like a recent satellite launch, have added complexity to the election. Diplomatic relations and the economy also weigh heavily in today's decisions.
