Local elections were held on 24 November 2018 in Taiwan, to elect county magistrates (city mayors), county (city) councilors, township mayors, township councilors and chiefs of village (borough) in 6 municipalities and 16 counties (cities). Elected officials would serve a four-year term. Polling stations were open from 08:00 to 16:00 on the election day.
The elections resulted in a substantial defeat for the DPP. The DPP previously held 13 of 22 municipalities and counties, but won only 6 in this election due to widespread public distrust, a de facto vote of no confidence on President Tsai's Administration, both politically (relations with China), economically (agriculture, tourism), and socially (pollution, labor laws, wages), which were reflected in the series of referendum results. The KMT won back executive control of 7 municipalities and counties from the DPP, while Ko Wen-je (independent) won his re-election for Taipei mayor.
Background This local election was seen as the first test for the incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen since assuming office in May 2016. The Central Election Commission opened election registration to candidates on 27 August 2018.
The Democratic Progressive Party has won the popular vote against the Kuomintang in all of the last three elections. This trend has continued in the 2016 elections, where the Democratic Progressive Party won a majority in the Legislative Yuan with 68 seats and the presidency.
Results summary + Elected magistrates/mayors and council composition in the 2018 Taiwanese local electionSubdivisionMagistrate/mayorCouncilParty resultElectFirst partySeatsSecond partySeatsTotal seatsNew Taipei CityKuomintang holdHou You-yiKuomintang33 7DPP25 766Taipei CityIndependent holdKo Wen-jeKuomintang29 1DPP19 863Taoyuan CityDPP holdCheng Wen-tsanKuomintang32 3DPP18 263Taichung CityKuomintang gain from DPPLu Shiow-yenKuomintang32 4DPP25 265Tainan CityDPP holdHuang Wei-cherDPP25 3Kuomintang16 57Kaohsiung CityKuomintang gain from DPPHan Kuo-yuKuomintang33 9DPP25 866Yilan CountyKuomintang gain from DPPLin Zi-miaoKuomintang13 2DPP8 434Hsinchu CountyKuomintang holdYang Wen-keKuomintang19 2DPP2 36Miaoli CountyKuomintang holdHsu Yao-changKuomintang14 5DPP4 38Changhua CountyKuomintang gain from DPPWang Huei-meiKuomintang28 4DPP12 554Nantou CountyKuomintang holdLin Ming-chenKuomintang17 DPP8 37Yunlin CountyKuomintang gain from DPPChang Li-shanDPP12 1Kuomintang7 43Chiayi CountyDPP hold Weng Chang-liangDPP17 1Kuomintang9 37Pingtung CountyDPP holdPan Men-anKuomintang17 2DPP15 355Taitung CountyKuomintang holdYao Ching-lingKuomintang21 1DPP1 30Hualien CountyKuomintang gain from independentHsu Chen-weiKuomintang18 2DPP3 333Penghu CountyKuomintang gain from DPPLai Feng-weiKuomintang4 4DPP3 119Keelung CityDPP holdLin Yu-changKuomintang16 2DPP6 431Hsinchu CityDPP holdLin Chih-chienKuomintang15 DPP6 134Chiayi CityKuomintang gain from DPPHuang Min-huiKuomintang5 1DPP4 123Kinmen CountyKuomintang gain from independentYang Cheng-wuKuomintang9 6For Public Good Party1 119Lienchiang CountyKuomintang holdLiu Cheng-yingKuomintang7 1None9
Magistrate and mayor elections
Opinion polls + 2018 Taiwan magistrate/mayor elections nationwide opinion poll Poll organization Date completed Others TPOF 2018-11-08 33.9% 24.2% － 14.9% Trend Survey 2018-11-06 36.4% 25.9% 0.8% 15.2% Taiwan Brain Trust 2018-07-28 29.5% 38.6% 0.4% 10.5%
Results SubdivisionElectorateTurnout (%)WinnerRunner-upMapNameVotes%NameVotes%New Taipei City3,264,12862.46Hou You-yi1,165,13057.15Su Tseng-chang873,69242.85Taipei City2,164,15565.37Ko Wen-je580,82041.05Ting Shou-chung577,56640.82Taoyuan City1,732,59159.63Cheng Wen-tsan552,33053.46Apollo Chen407,23439.42Taichung City2,213,78966.12Lu Shiow-yen827,99656.57Lin Chia-lung619,85542.35Tainan City1,546,86262.49Huang Wei-cher367,51838.02Kao Su-po312,87432.37Kaohsiung City2,281,33872.63Han Kuo-yu892,54553.87Chen Chi-mai742,23944.80Yilan County373,51066.97Lin Zi-miao123,76749.48Chen Ou-po95,60938.23Hsinchu County427,65266.03Yang Wen-ke107,87738.20Hsu Hsin-ying91,19032.29Miaoli County446,50768.17Hsu Yao-chang175,75657.74Hsu Ting-zhen112,70437.03Changhua County1,031,22268.89Wang Huei-mei377,79553.18Wei Ming-ku283,26939.87Nantou County413,22270.87Lin Ming-chen195,38566.72Hung Kuo-hao97,46033.28Yunlin County565,07869.29Chang Li-shan210,77053.82Lee Chin-yung163,32541.72Chiayi County428,64966.52Weng Chang-liang145,28850.95Wu Yu-jen84,24329.54Pingtung County689,39368.20Pan Men-an262,80955.90Su Ching-chuan197,51842.01Taitung County179,70666.51Rao Ching-ling70,57759.05Liu Chao-hao44,26437.04Hualien County268,81763.09Hsu Chen-wei121,29771.52Liu Siao-Mei43,87925.87Penghu County86,60361.10Lai Feng-wei20,57038.87Chen Kuang-fu17,34732.78Keelung City309,42860.98Lin Yu-chang102,16754.14Hsieh Li-kung86,52945.86Hsinchu City338,32364.17Lin Chih-chien107,61249.57Hsu Ming-tsai60,50827.87Chiayi City212,84366.81Huang Min-hui58,55841.18Twu Shiing-jer56,25639.56Kinmen County117,91341.75Yang Cheng-wu23,52047.48Chen Fu-hai22,71946.15Lienchiang County10,77368.76Liu Cheng-ying4,86165.62Chu Hsiu-chen1,28417.33
Councillor elections Nominations ProvinceCountyMembersKMTDPPTSUPFPNPNew Power PartyIND/OtherSpecial municipalityTaipei633327147548New Taipei6636363641Taoyuan6338343253Taichung6537363451Tainan57223721149Kaohsiung66373833348Taiwan Province Keelung3119156119 Yilan County3416181336 Hsinchu3420121436 Hsinchu County36277149 Miaoli County381810242 Changhua County542926132 Nantou County37201329 Yunlin County4310201242 Chiayi23882124 Chiayi County3792230 Hualien County33339225 Taitung County302942230 Pingtung County553230143 Penghu County1944130Fujian Province Kinmen County19101222 Lienchiang County9103Total 912 497 407 10 26 10 41 777
Opinion polls 2018 Municipal Councillor & County Councillor Nationwide PollsPoll sourceDate of completion KuomintangDemocratic Progressive Party Others Independent LeadTaiwan Think TankApril 1, 201828.5%33.6%－4.9%5.1%Taiwan Brain TrustJuly 28, 201829.9%22.9%－3.6%7%New Power PartySeptember 5, 201825.2%23.6%12.1%－1.6%TaipeiChina TimesJune 4, 201839.4%16.6%－－22.8%TrendsJuly 16, 201827.1%14.1%7.1%3.9%13%CM Media July 26, 201835%16.2%12.7%－18.8%FormosaOctober 12, 201828.5%16.3%5.6%－12.2%TaichungCM MediaJuly 31, 201827.7%21.3%16%－6.4%KaohsiungCM MediaSeptember 18, 201827.5%24.1%17.3%－3.4%Hsinchu CityTaiwan Green PartyAugust 24, 201827.3%12.2%10.2%－15.1%Changhua CountyCM MediaOctober 16, 201832.5%17.8%14.9%－14.7%Chiayi CityCM MediaSeptember 5, 201825%24.7%16.8%－0.3%Yilan CountyCM MediaSeptember 26, 201827%20.5%15.3%－7.5%
Results
ProvinceCountyMembersKMTDPPTSUPFPNPNew Power PartyIND/OtherSpecial municipalityTaipei6329192238New Taipei6633258Taoyuan633218112Taichung65322517Tainan5716251114Kaohsiung6633251124County and Non-Municipal Keelung31166216 Yilan County34138112 Hsinchu34156310 Hsinchu County36192114 Miaoli County38144218 Changhua County542812113 Nantou County3717812 Yunlin County437121122 Chiayi23541013 Chiayi County3791711 Hualien County3318312 Taitung County3021117 Pingtung County551715122 Penghu County194312Offshore Kinmen County19910 Lienchiang County972Total 912 394 238 5 8 2 16 249
Speaker/Deputy Speaker electionSpecial municipalitySpeaker (Party)Deputy Speaker (Party)ProvinceCountyTaipeiChen Chin-hsiang (Kuomintang)Yeh Lin-chuang (Kuomintang)New TaipeiChiang Ken-huang (Kuomintang)Chen Hung-yuan (Kuomintang)TaoyuanCiou Yi-sheng (Kuomintang)Li Hsiao-chung (Kuomintang)TaichungChang Ching-chao (Kuomintang)Yen Li-ming (Kuomintang)TainanKuo Hsin-liang (Independent)Lin Ping-li (Independent)KaohsiungHsu Kun-yuan (Kuomintang)Liu Shu-mei (Kuomintang)Taiwan ProvinceKeelungTsai Wang-lien (Kuomintang)Jonathan Lin (Kuomintang)YilanHuang Ting-ho (Kuomintang)Chen Han-chung (Independent)Hsinchu CountyChang Chen-rong (Kuomintang)Wang Ping-han (Kuomintang)Hsinchu CityHsu Hsiu-jui (Kuomintang)Yu Pang-yen (Kuomintang)MiaoliChung Tung-chin (Kuomintang)Lee Wen-ping (Kuomintang)ChanghuaHsieh Dien-lin (Kuomintang)Hsu Yuan-luan (Kuomintang)NantouHe Sheng-feng (Kuomintang)Pan Yi-chuan (Kuomintang)YunlinShen Chung-lung (Kuomintang)Su Chun-hao (DPP)Chiayi CountyChang Ming-ta (DPP)Chen Yu-yueh (DPP)Chiayi CityChuang Feng-an (Independent)Su Tse-feng (Independent)PingtungChou Tien-lun (Kuomintang)Lu Wen-jui (Kuomintang)TaitungWu Hsiu-hua (Kuomintang)Lin Tsung-han (Kuomintang)HualienChang Chun (Kuomintang)Pan Yueh-hsia (Kuomintang)PenghuLiu Chen Zhao-ling (Kuomintang)Chen Shuang-chuan (Kuomintang)Fuchien ProvinceKinmenHung Yun-tien (Kuomintang)Chou Tzu-chieh (Independent)LienchiangChang Yung-chiang (Kuomintang)Chou Jui-kuo (Kuomintang)
Township/city mayor elections
Nominations ProvinceCountyMembers KuomintangDemocratic Progressive Party Free Taiwan Party Others IndependentSpecial municipality（Mountain indigenous District）Taiwan Province Yilan County12 11 10 11 Hsinchu County13 14 1 22 Miaoli County18 13 2 29 Changhua County26 19 19 44 Nantou County13 13 6 19 Yunlin County20 5 18 32 Chiayi County18 2 14 19 Pingtung County33 12 20 1 1 56 Taitung County16 13 3 27 Hualien County13 17 2 13 Penghu County6 3 2 7 Fujian Province Kinmen County6 8 1 10 Lienchiang County4 5 New Taipei City（Wulai District）1 4 Taoyuan（Fuxing District）1 1 2 Taichung（Heping District）1 1 2Kaohsiung（Maolin District,Taoyuan District, Namasia District）3 2 7Total 204 139 97 1 2 304 Note: The results of the election are subject to the Republic of China Central Election Commission. Other parties include: Youth Party: 1 candidate in Kinmen County. Taiwan Advance Party: One candidate in Pingtung County. The color of each municipality, county, and city is based on the party with the highest vote in the current election.
Results ProvinceCountyMembers Kuomintang Democratic Progressive Party Others IndependentSpecial municipality（Mountain indigenous District）Taiwan Province Yilan County12 8 3 1 Hsinchu County13 10 0 3 Miaoli County18 10 8 Changhua County26 9 7 10 Nantou County13 4 2 7 Yunlin County20 1 9 10 Chiayi County18 0 7 11 Pingtung County33 8 7 18 Taitung County16 9 1 6 Hualien County13 12 1 Penghu County6 2 4 Fujian Province Kinmen County6 3 3 Lienchiang County4 4 New Taipei City（Wulai District）1 1Taoyuan（Fuxing District）1 1 Taichung（Heping District）1 1Kaohsiung（Maolin District,Taoyuan District, Namasia District）3 2 1Total 204 83 40 2 79 Note: The results of the election are subject to the Republic of China Central Election Commission. The color of each municipality, county, and city is based on the party with the highest vote in the current election.
Township/city council elections Nominations ProvinceCountyMembers Kuomintang Democratic Progressive Party Labor Party Trees Party People's First Party New Power Party Others IndependentSpecial municipality（Mountain indigenous District）Taiwan Province Yilan County131 49 37 2 143 Hsinchu County142 68 5 1 1 1 187 Miaoli County193 17 6 295 Changhua County317 47 85 385 Nantou County163 43 5 208 Yunlin County228 15 45 293 Chiayi County193 19 6 247 Pingtung County334 55 53 2 420 Taitung County136 59 6 2 169 Hualien County142 92 8 1 143 Penghu County51 4 3 7 75Fujian Province Kinmen County47 20 4 41 Lienchiang County22 20 13New Taipei City（Wulai District）7 13Taoyuan（Fuxing District）11 4 21Taichung（Heping District）11 6 12Kaohsiung（Maolin District,Taoyuan District, Namasia District）21 5 37Total 2,149 523 259 1 8 1 4 7 2,702註: The results of the election are subject to the Republic of China Central Election Commission. The color of each municipality, county, and city is based on the party with the highest vote in the current election.
Results