Hsinchu County Seeks 2 Days of Compensatory Leave from Central Gov't Amid Election Staff Recruitment Difficulties
Facing challenges in recruiting election staff, particularly civil servants and teachers, the Hsinchu County Election Commission has requested the central government to grant two days of compensatory leave as an incentive for the 2026 local elections. The Central Election Commission has indicated it will coordinate on the matter.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 18, 2026 at 17:37
- 🔍 Collected: May 18, 2026 at 18:01 (24 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 18, 2026 at 20:57 (2h 55m after Collected)
(CNA, Hsinchu County, May 18) The Hsinchu County Election Commission stated today that due to the requirement for some polling station staff to be civil servants or teachers, and a decline in their willingness to serve in recent years, recruiting election staff has become difficult. The commission hopes the central government will grant two days of compensatory leave to facilitate election work. Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman You Ying-lung said he would coordinate on the matter.
You visited the Hsinchu County Election Commission today to inspect the work for the 2026 unified local elections. During a briefing, Hsinchu County Election Commission Deputy Director-General Li Mei-ling stated that according to the Public Officials Election and Recall Act, the chief administrator, chief supervisor, and some administrators at polling stations must be current civil servants or teachers. However, their willingness to serve has decreased in recent years, leading to recruitment difficulties.
Li pointed out that besides continuously recruiting non-civil servants to assist with election duties, the commission has also asked the chairman, director-general, and the county's Education and Personnel Departments to help recruit for vacancies, but it remains a significant challenge. She suggested the central government grant two days of compensatory leave to civil servants and teachers participating in this election, as well as pay for substitute teacher fees for the two days of leave, to increase their willingness to participate.
During the meeting, You stated that in response to the difficulty in recruiting civil servants and teachers for polling station work, the CEC will coordinate with the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration to recommend granting two days of compensatory leave.
He added that the CEC would also coordinate with the Ministry of Education to grant two days of compensatory leave to teachers serving as chief administrators, chief supervisors, and administrators at polling stations, and would request the Ministry to issue a letter to municipal and county governments to approve the payment of hourly fees for their remaining classwork.
The County Election Commission's data indicates that for the 2026 local elections, the county plans to set up 492 polling stations and recruit 7,234 staff members. It has already sent letters to various agencies and schools to help recommend personnel, with the goal of completing recruitment by September 30.
You visited the Hsinchu County Election Commission today to inspect the work for the 2026 unified local elections. During a briefing, Hsinchu County Election Commission Deputy Director-General Li Mei-ling stated that according to the Public Officials Election and Recall Act, the chief administrator, chief supervisor, and some administrators at polling stations must be current civil servants or teachers. However, their willingness to serve has decreased in recent years, leading to recruitment difficulties.
Li pointed out that besides continuously recruiting non-civil servants to assist with election duties, the commission has also asked the chairman, director-general, and the county's Education and Personnel Departments to help recruit for vacancies, but it remains a significant challenge. She suggested the central government grant two days of compensatory leave to civil servants and teachers participating in this election, as well as pay for substitute teacher fees for the two days of leave, to increase their willingness to participate.
During the meeting, You stated that in response to the difficulty in recruiting civil servants and teachers for polling station work, the CEC will coordinate with the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration to recommend granting two days of compensatory leave.
He added that the CEC would also coordinate with the Ministry of Education to grant two days of compensatory leave to teachers serving as chief administrators, chief supervisors, and administrators at polling stations, and would request the Ministry to issue a letter to municipal and county governments to approve the payment of hourly fees for their remaining classwork.
The County Election Commission's data indicates that for the 2026 local elections, the county plans to set up 492 polling stations and recruit 7,234 staff members. It has already sent letters to various agencies and schools to help recommend personnel, with the goal of completing recruitment by September 30.