Su Chiao-hui's Voting Light Activated 47 Times Despite Leave: People Party Files Forgery Charges

Su Chiao-hui, a legislator from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and candidate for New Taipei City mayor, applied for leave from the DPP caucus on July 24. However, her voting button light was activated 47 times during legislative sessions that day while reviewing the 'Taiwan Children and Youth Growth and Future Account Act' and the 'Highway Act.' At least one instance was captured on video showing fellow DPP legislator Shen Fa-hui pressing the button on her behalf.

In response, three New Taipei City councilors from the Taiwan People's Party—Lin Tzu-yu, Chen Yi-chun, and Chen Yu-chieh—filed charges at the Taipei District Prosecutors Office on August 3, accusing the act of proxy voting of constituting document forgery under criminal law. They demanded that surveillance footage from the Legislative Yuan be reviewed to identify all individuals who may have pressed Su’s voting button.

Lin Tzu-yu questioned how Su could have a voting record while absent, calling it 'ghost voting.' Chen Yi-chun emphasized that legislative voting rights must be exercised personally and criticized Su for prioritizing election campaigns over legislative duties. She urged Su to resign if campaigning is more important than serving as a legislator, stating that she still draws a public salary funded by taxpayers.

Chen Yu-chieh called on Shen Fa-hui to clarify who pressed the button for the remaining 46 votes, warning that without transparency, Shen could become a scapegoat for all 47 potentially illegal acts. The Taiwan People's Party insists on a full investigation to uphold the integrity of parliamentary procedures and democratic accountability.

The controversy raises serious concerns about the transparency and legitimacy of legislative voting processes in Taiwan. If proven, such proxy voting could undermine public trust in the legislature and prompt calls for procedural reforms.