Penghu Prosecutors Crack Down on 'Ghost Voters' Ahead of November 28 Election
The Penghu District Prosecutors Office in Taiwan is stepping up efforts to combat 'fake household registrations' (ghost voters) ahead of the November 28 local elections. In Penghu, where races are often decided by a few dozen votes, such fraud can significantly impact results. Prosecutors are working with police and household registration offices to enforce penalties of up to five years in prison. High rewards are also offered for reporting bribery or foreign interference.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 22, 2026 at 11:52
- 🔍 Collected: May 22, 2026 at 12:01 (9 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 31, 2026 at 21:26 (225h 24m after Collected)
In response to the November 28 election, the Penghu District Prosecutors Office in Taiwan issued a press release today stating that judicial police agencies will take phased, step-by-step measures to strengthen the investigation and analysis of household registrations in highly contested areas to prevent fake household registrations from affecting the fairness of the election. The Penghu Prosecutors Office invited police, investigation, and household registration teams to hold a 'Meeting on Preventing Fake Household Registrations for the 115th Year Local Public Official Election' yesterday. Penghu Chief Prosecutor Wu Yi-ming stated that in Penghu's contested areas, the difference between winning and losing is often just a few dozen votes, and fake household registrations participating in voting will lead to unfair voting results. The prosecution will list the prevention and investigation of fake household registrations as one of the key tasks for investigating vote-buying. Wu Yi-ming stated that the investigation team should ensure that the people can exercise their right to vote under their own free will without interference from external forces, and maintain the fairness and justice of the election results. Attempting to influence election results by falsely moving household registrations can be punished by up to five years in prison. If caught, it will be strictly investigated and handled quickly, and will never be tolerated. In addition, the Penghu Prosecutors Office calls on the public to bravely report vote-buying. The maximum reward for reporting vote-buying by a county magistrate candidate is NT$5 million; the maximum reward for reporting vote-buying by a county councilor or township mayor candidate is NT$2 million; the maximum reward for reporting vote-buying by a township representative or village chief candidate is NT$500,000; the maximum reward for reporting election gambling is NT$5 million; and the maximum reward for reporting foreign interference in the election is NT$20 million.
FAQ
Why is 'fake household registration' an issue in Taiwan elections?
It is a tactic used to manipulate election results in close races by artificially increasing the voter base in a specific district.