2026 Taiwanese referendum

Nationwide referendum proposal 22
28 November 2026
Do you agree that the government should promote the economy with "nuclear power", to abolish the energy policy of "non-nuclear homeland"?[a]
Voting systemThe initiative is ratified if votes in favor exceed a quarter of eligible voters and the number of votes not in favor.
Yes
 
 %
No
 
 %

A national referendum is scheduled for 28 November 2026 in Taiwan, alongside local elections.

Referendum proposals

In April 2026, Hung Mong-kai and six other Kuomintang members of the Legislative Yuan announced their caucus supported a referendum to legalize caning as punishment for major crimes including fraud, child abuse, and sexual assault.[2][3] A legislative vote on the proposal was held the following month.[4] The KMT also considered restoration of nuclear power and capital punishment as potential grounds for referendum. The Taiwan People's Party backed absentee voting for presidential and legislative elections, as well as national referendums, as referendum topics.[5] The newly seated chair of the Central Election Commission, Michael You, urged caution in the referendum proposal and approval process.[5][6][7] In June, the KMT turned its attention away from caning to focus on nuclear power[8][9] and capital punishment,[10] while the TPP put forward a proposed referendum on funding transportation subsidies through the collection of traffic fines[11] and absentee voting.[12] By July, the TPP drafted another referendum proposal on euthanasia.[13][14] That same month, KMT and TPP used their joint legislative majority to bypass committee review and advance referendum proposals on nuclear power and the legalization of medical euthanasia directly to a second reading.[15][16] The second reading on the caning proposal was passed only with KMT support.[17] Due to the number of referendum proposals under consideration leading to a possible six-question referendum alongside local elections, the KMT supported listing multiple referendum questions on a single ballot.[18][19] To this end, amendments to the Referendum Act provisions on balloting were proposed and advanced to a second legislative reading in late July.[20][21] CEC chair You opposed multiple-question referendum ballots.[22][23]

The Legislative Yuan voted to approve the referendum on caning, traffic fine usage, and nuclear power in August 2026, while the euthanasia proposal did not pass and the absentee voting proposal was not voted upon.[24][25] On 16 August 2026, prior to the approval of any referendum question by the Central Election Commission, the National Human Rights Commission cited the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in opposition to the judicial caning proposal.[26]

On 28 August 2026, the Central Election Commission approved the referendum question on nuclear power and rejected the questions about judicial caning and traffic fine revenue allocation.[27][28]

Notes

  1. ↑ Chinese: 你是否支持政府使用「核電」振興經濟，以廢除「非核家園」的能源政策？[1]

References

  1. ↑ 林, 仁斌 (18 August 2026). "「核電振興經濟」是事實還是預設？公投主文修法爭議背後的「框架陷阱」". The News Lens (in Chinese). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  2. ↑ Liu, Kuan-ting; Mazzetta, Matthew (13 April 2026). "KMT lawmakers to seek referendum on caning for fraud, child abuse". Central News Agency. Retrieved 15 August 2026. Republished as: "KMT lawmakers seeking referendum on caning". Taipei Times. 14 April 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  3. ↑ Younger, Hollie (13 April 2026). "KMT proposes referendum on caning for sexual assault, child abuse". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Wang, Yang-yu; Lin, Sean (26 May 2026). "KMT caucus proposes referendum on flogging for certain crimes". Central News. Retrieved 15 August 2026. Republished as: "KMT proposes caning as legal punishment". Taipei Times. 27 May 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  5. 1 2 Kao, Hua-chen; Lee, Hsin-Yin (29 June 2026). "CEC chief urges restraint on referendums, rejects absentee voting". Central News Agency. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  6. ↑ Kao Hua-chien, Hua-chien; Lee, Hsin-Yin; Wu, Kuan-hsien (27 April 2026). "New CEC chair talks elections, referendums, Chinese spouses' rights". Central News Agency. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Lin, Che-yuan; Yeh, Esme. "New CEC head outlines challenges". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  8. ↑ Hui, Yung-ching; Lin, Hsin-han; Younger, Hollie (26 June 2026). "KMT deprioritizes referendum proposal on caning". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  9. ↑ "KMT to propose nuclear power vote". Taipei Times. 27 June 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "KMT to seek another vote on death penalty abolition". Taipei Times. 27 June 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  11. ↑ Lo, Kuo-chia; Chung, Jake (27 June 2026). "TPP proposes referendum on allocating traffic fine funds to transport subsidies". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  12. ↑ Chen, Cheng-yu (28 June 2026). "Five referendums may coincide with year-end elections if approved". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  13. ↑ Lin, Hsin-han; Lo, Kuo-chia; Garcia, Sam. "TPP eyes euthanasia referendum proposal". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  14. ↑ Lin, Hsin-han; Chen, Chih-cheng; Younger, Hollie. "TPP's euthanasia referendum proposal sent to a second reading". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  15. ↑ Tseng, Yi-ning; Wang, Cheng-chung; Shih, Hsiu-chuan (14 July 2026). "Opposition fast-tracks referendum proposals on nuclear policy, euthanasia". Central News Agency. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  16. ↑ Chin, Jonathan (15 July 2026). "Euthanasia, nuclear vote bills advance". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  17. ↑ Lin, Hsin-han; Khan, Fion (3 July 2026). "Lawmakers advance KMT caning referendum after tight vote". Retrieved 15 August 2026. Republished as: Lin, Hsin-han; Khan, Fion. "Caning referendum bill progresses to second reading". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  18. ↑ Lin, Hsin-han; Younger, Hollie (20 July 2026). "KMT to focus on nuclear referendum amid criticism over excessive proposals". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  19. ↑ Lin Che-yuan, Che-yuan; Su, Yung-yao; Khan, Fion (14 July 2026). "KMT seeks single ballot for multiple referendums". Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  20. ↑ Younger, Holle. "Referendum amendments advance despite DPP challenge". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  21. ↑ Chung, Jake (5 August 2026). "CEC head warns against rushing plebiscite changes". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  22. ↑ Hui, Yung-ching; Younger, Hollie. "CEC chair says pared back referendums are 'positive development'". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  23. ↑ Chin, Jonathan (27 August 2026). "CEC warns of potential ballot disaster". Taipei Times. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  24. ↑ Lin, Ching-yin; Tseng, Yi-ning; Lee, Hsin-Yin (14 August 2026). "Taiwan Legislature approves 3 opposition-backed referendum proposals". Central News Agency. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  25. ↑ Khan, Fion; Madjar, Kayleigh (14 August 2026). "Legislature approves three referendums in partisan votes". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026. Republished as: Madjar, Kayleigh; Khan, Fion (15 August 2026). "Legislature approves three referendums for voting". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  26. ↑ Kao, Hua-chien; Lee, Hsin-Yin (16 August 2026). "National Human Rights Commission criticizes caning proposal". Central News Agency. Retrieved 17 August 2026. Republished as: "National Human Rights Commission criticizes caning proposal". Taipei Times. 17 August 2026. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  27. ↑ Wu, Su-wei; Shih, Hsiu-chuan (28 August 2026). "CEC approves nuclear policy referendum, rejects caning, traffic fine proposals". Central News Agency. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
  28. ↑ Hsu, Yung-ching (29 August 2026). "CEC approves nuclear referendum, rejects other two". Taipei Times. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
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