Chiayi Mayoral Race Suspended After Candidate's Death 候選人黃紹聰驟逝 嘉義市長選舉暫停

Independent Chiayi City mayoral candidate Huang Shao-tsung passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 2. If the entire election process cannot be completed before election day on Nov. 26, then it will be held as a standalone election.

Campaign trucks are parked by the side of the road. All mayoral election activities in Chiayi City were suspended on Nov. 3 following the death of independent candidate Huang Shao-tsung a day earlier. The election was suspended in accordance with the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act, and the entire election process, from the announcement to the registration of candidacies to the draw for ballot numbers, will be repeated. The Central Election Commission will determine whether the election will still take place on Nov. 26. The DPP candidate announced he has suspended all activities, while KMT candidate and incumbent mayor Huang Min-hui urged the CEC to consider campaign expenditures. 

Lee Chun-yi, Chiayi City Mayoral Candidate (DPP): “I already announced that I've suspended my campaigning today, and we will continue to assist in the campaigning for our councilors.”

Huang Min-hui, Chiayi City Mayoral Candidate (KMT): “It's hard to estimate the social cost (of changing the date), and there are no funds for a second election.”

If the election can't take place as scheduled on Nov. 26, it may be held as a standalone election afterwards. 

Chiayi City Resident: “It's more convenient when you can vote for the mayor and councilor at the same time.”

Chiayi City Resident: “No more of the city government's money should be spent. This money should be distributed to the people. Wouldn't that be better?”

Some residents said it would be inconvenient to have to vote twice, while others worried that the voter turnout would be lower to elect councilors and borough chiefs. Scholars said the biggest impact of a date change would be on the mayoral election, because political parties may change their candidates if they have additional time or new candidates may register. The impact will be less on the elections for councilors and borough chiefs.

Dachi Liao, Professor, Institute of Political Science, NSYSU: “The borough chief election density is sufficient. Some boroughs only have 1,000 residents, so these borough chiefs will stretch the election situation tautly and urge people to vote. Urging people to vote will of course implicate councilors because councilors and borough chiefs are linked.”

This was the first death of a mayoral or magisterial candidate since a provision was added to the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act in 2007 on rescheduling an election due to the death of a mayoral or magisterial candidate. The CEC will meet to decide when to hold the election.

宣傳車停在路邊沒出動，原本在衝刺選情的嘉義市長候選人們，3日起全暫停活動。無黨籍嘉義市長候選人黃紹聰2日凌晨驟逝後，依《選罷法》須暫停選舉，重新辦理公告、登記及抽號次，待中選會決議是否如期26日投票。民進黨候選人李俊俋決定暫停所有活動，爭取連任的嘉義市長黃敏惠呼籲考量選務成本。

民進黨嘉義市長候選人李俊俋表示：「已經宣布說，我今天先暫停選舉，接續我們會全力來輔選我們的議員。」

國民黨嘉義市長候選人黃敏惠指出：「改期的社會成本是難以估計的；第2個，選務的經費目前是欠缺的。」

若無法在26日前完成相關流程，市長選舉須單獨舉辦，但嘉義市民普遍不贊同。

嘉義市民認為：「市長綁議員的選舉大家才會順便投票，比較熱門。」

也有嘉義市民表示：「不要再花市政府的錢，那些錢拿來分給百姓不是很好嗎？」

有人覺得投2次麻煩、有人擔心拉低市議員及里長投票率。但學者有不同看法，認為改期衝擊較大應該是市長選舉，因為時間拉長，可能會有政黨換將、新候選人加入等變數，反而對市議員及里長選舉較沒影響。

中山大學政治學研究所教授廖達琪分析：「里長選舉的綿密度是很夠的，有的里才1000多人，所以這些里長會去把這個選情給繃緊、會去催票。催票當然也牽涉到議員，因為議員跟里長都會有個連動。」

這是2007年《公職選罷法》增列縣市長以上候選人死亡應重行選舉的規定後，首次有縣市首長候選人因故死亡。中選會下午也將再次召開會議，確定是否如期舉行。