TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Central Election Commission held a meeting on Friday to finalize the timetable for Taiwan’s municipal elections in 2026.
Next year’s local elections are set to be held on Saturday, Nov. 28, CNA reported. On that date, voters will determine the executive and legislative leadership for Taiwan’s 22 administrative regions, which include 16 counties and six major municipalities.
The commission announced that candidate registration will be open from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4. The date of Sept. 4 is also the deadline for political parties to withdraw their nominations, while candidate lists are set to be finalized on Oct. 16.
Those running for offices of city or county councilors, city mayors, or county magistrates will join a lottery on Oct. 23 to determine candidate numbers as they will appear on paper voting ballots. The announcement with candidate information and ballot numbers will be finalized on Nov. 8.
Public policy presentations and debates for mayoral elections may be scheduled between Nov. 13 and Nov. 27. After votes are counted on Nov. 28, election results will be finalized on Dec. 4, with certificates of election issued on Dec. 18, per CNA.
Earlier this week, the Democratic Progressive Party and the Taiwan People’s Party announced their initial slates of candidates for next year's elections. More names will be announced in the coming weeks, with all party nominations expected by January or February at the latest.
Except for TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), who announced his candidacy for New Taipei mayor, no party nominations for Taiwan’s six major municipalities have been made. Current New Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Shu-chuan (李四川) is considered a likely nominee for the KMT.
There is speculation that former DPP Secretary-General Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) may be a possible pick for the party in the Taipei or New Taipei mayoral races. Former chief of the DPP Taipei Office, Enoch Wu (吳怡農), has also announced his intent to run for Taipei mayor.
In Kaohsiung, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) drew backlash this week for publicly endorsing Lin Tai-hua (林岱樺) as a candidate in the DPP's mayoral primary contest.
