> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.taiwanquest.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 20,000 km for democracy - URL: https://www.taiwanquest.com/great-recall-2025/ - Published: 2025-07-24T19:02:33.000Z - Updated: 2025-07-26T14:28:26.000Z - Description: People are going to great lengths to vote in Taiwan’s ‘Great Recall’… - Author: Zhen-Kang From [CNN](https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/23/asia/taiwan-recall-vote-explained-hnk-intl): > *This Saturday, Taiwan goes to the ballot box to decide whether 24 lawmakers from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) – around 20 percent of Taiwan’s legislature – can keep their jobs. Seven more seats are to be voted on next month.* > > *The outcome could reshape Taiwan’s political landscape, allowing the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to recapture a majority in the legislature, currently controlled by its opponents the KMT and the smaller Taiwan’s People Party (TPP).* This is not an ordinary election. It’s a recall—the rarest form of direct democracy—in which sitting politicians can be expelled by voters in between regular elections. [Taiwan’s last national election was in January 2024](https://www.taiwanquest.com/huandao-keelung-to-taipei/). The DPP won the presidency for the third consecutive term, but the joint KMT–TPP opposition took control of the legislature. It’s been a bumpy ride: - [The TPP leader was indicted for corruption](https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2024/09/01/2003823078) - [A KMT activist wore a Nazi armband, carried a copy of *Mein Kampf*, and did a Nazi salute at a District Prosecutor’s Office](https://www.dw.com/en/taiwan-germany-condemns-activist-who-wore-nazi-symbols/a-72262420) - [The KMT proposed reducing government departments’ budgets to literally one dollar](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwans-premier-says-oppositions-budget-cuts-would-cripple-key-government-2025-01-20/) - [The KMT and TPP effectively paralyzed the Constitutional Court](https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202503260012) Some people see the latter two moves as doing China’s bidding: causing governmental dysfunction and undermining confidence in Taiwanese democracy. This has prompted [a wave of grassroots recall petitions](https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2025/05/21/2003837227). Recalling politicians is an arduous process: 1. In each electorate, 1% of eligible voters must sign a recall petition 2. Once verified, 10% must sign a second petition 3. On the day of the vote, at least 25% of registered voters must support the recall, with more ‘yes’ votes than ‘no’ votes Voters go to great lengths to participate in the recalls: Taiwan doesn’t allow early or remote voting, so people must return to their home districts to vote in person on the day. A social media trend has inspired Taiwanese around the world to post photos of their boarding passes and share stories about their journeys home. Here’s a translated example [from Threads](https://www.threads.com/@ivyhch%5Fhh/post/DMaX0CaTsQl?xmt=AQF0QeNTaXht0CrWt0BlpfYDnQy0-Hv2uYpta9-Eum2ONg): > *I’m a mother of two. My husband is Australian and I’ve been in Australia for ten years. Currently, due to my husband’s work, we are living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I took my two kids and flew two hours from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi, waited eight hours for a connecting flight, then flew 14 hours to Australia. After that, I took a five-hour car ride with a friend back to our rural home, left the kids with friends to take care of them, then traveled five hours back to Sydney and took an eight-hour flight to Taiwan—a quick solo trip—just to vote!* > > *And I want all my friends to know: I’m a Taiwanese who will likely die overseas in the future, but I wasn’t bribed or paid by any political party to do this. I only want to protect Taiwan, the family and friends I love, and all Taiwanese people!!!!* By my calculation, she travelled over 20,000 km to vote. [In 2020, 97% of Kaohsiung voters opted to recall the incumbent mayor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020%5FKaohsiung%5Fmayoral%5Frecall%5Fvote)—a KMT politician who, incidentally, is now the legislative speaker. But no one’s expecting such an extreme result this year. English-speaking pundits say it’s too close to call. If the KMT lose 12 or more seats, the DPP would instantly gain a majority. I’ll be watching [TaiwanPlus’ results coverage tomorrow from 5pm (UTC+8)](https://www.youtube.com/live/nT%5F%5FfkHXsvE?si=IFy%5FNPWngyKfvG9C). --- ## Update: July 25, 2025 [All 24 recalls were unsuccessful](https://newbloommag.net/2025/07/26/recall-first-wave-defeat/). A further seven KMT legislators will face recall votes next month. ---