Journal of Electoral Studies

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Home Issues Backissues Volume 31, No.1 The Electoral System and Ethnic Politics: The Case of Legislative Redistricting in Hsinchu County

The Electoral System and Ethnic Politics: The Case of Legislative Redistricting in Hsinchu County

Wang, Pao-Chien
2020 / 11
Volume 27, No.2

pp.1-48
10.6612/tjes.202011_27(2).0001
Paper

Abstract

The design of the electoral system includes seats, voting, and electoral districts. From the Seventh Legislative Yuan, the single electoral district and the two-vote system have been adopted. According to Article 35 of the “Civil Servants Election and Recall Act,” seat distribution in the Legislative Yuan is reconsidered every 10 years to account for changes in the population. In 2020, the number of lawmakers’ seats increased from 1 to 2 in Hsinchu County. This study employs a literature review to explore the voting system and legislative redistricting, as well as voting-behavior theory to discuss the issue of redrawing electoral districts in Hsinchu County. The findings include: (1) The legislators’ electoral districts of Hsinchu County are divided into a “Minnan-Hakka mixed constituency” and a “Hakka constituency”. Learning from Miaoli’s experience, Hsinchu may have one Minnan lawmaker and one Hakka lawmaker. (2) In order to win the 2020 legislative election, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is employing a new campaign strategy, namely, the “dual identity of political parties and ethnic groups” model, via nominating Hakka candidates in Hsinchu and Miaoli.

Keywords

first-past-the-post

redistricting

ethnic politics

legislative elections