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Ko campaign says observers can vote
By Loa Lok-sin / Staff reporter
Independent Taipei mayoral candidate Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) campaign executive director Yao Li-min (姚立明) yesterday responded to statements from district offices saying that Ko’s volunteer ballot observers may not be able to cast their own votes while serving as ballot observers, urging the offices to remain neutral.
“Suffrage is a fundamental right protected by the Constitution, and since 1950, ballot observers have been allowed to take a temporary leave from the poll station where they work to cast their votes near their home addresses,” Yao said. “Therefore, the ballot observers’ right to vote would not be affected by their service.”
Yao made the remarks as several of Ko’s 1,500 volunteer ballot observers said they received notices from district offices saying that, since they would have to monitor poll stations other than their designated polling station, they would not be able to vote on election day.
Yao added that, according to Article 17 of the Election and Recall Act for Public Servants (公職人員選舉罷免法), all ballot observers with household registration in Taipei can vote in the poll station where they work.
“All the ballot observers recommended by Ko’s campaign are voters registered in Taipei and are all employees of the Taipei City Election Commission: They should not be treated differently,” Yao said, urging that the district offices should only provide the most accurate information to the ballot observers.
source: Taipei Times
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