TAIPEI: Several voters were reported to have breached election laws as of noon Saturday, during Taiwan’s presidential and legislative elections, with actions such as tearing up their ballot papers, Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) reported according to local government election officials.

In New Taipei, the most populous city in the country, the local election commission said a range of violations were reported at some of the 2,681 polling stations across the municipality.

A female voter in Xizhi district tore up her legislator ballot because it did not list any candidates that she favoured, she told polling station workers, according to the New Taipei Election Commission.

In the city’s Shulin district, a man was found to have taken a picture of the blank ballot with his mobile phone, while a male voter in Yonghe district was caught talking on his mobile phone inside the polling station, the agency said.

In Taoyuan’s Pingzhen district, meanwhile, a woman tore up her presidential ballot, and when she was caught in the act, she said it was because the paper had ink stains, according to local police.

Another woman in the same district was caught taking pictures of her ballot sheets inside the voting booth, and she told police that she wanted to send the photos to her son.

In Tainan, southern Taiwan, a male voter in the Annan district was reported for talking on his mobile phone inside a polling station.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the young daughter of a woman in Kaohsiung’s Fongshan district had unintentionally torn up her ballot.

According to Taiwan’s election laws, parents may bring children under the age of six into the polling stations.

Another woman in Kaohsiung damaged her ballot by tearing off the photo of the candidate she wanted to vote for, and she told the polling station workers that she was not sure how to cast her vote. She said she was born in China and was not familiar with Taiwan’s election laws.

Under the law, voters who intentionally destroy ballot papers may be subject to a fine of NT$5,000 (US$160.79) to NT$50,000.

Taking mobile phones or any other photography equipment in a polling station can also result in a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000.

A voter who displays their ballot after casting their vote may face a penalty of two years in prison or a fine of up to NT$200,000.

The violations and penalties are listed in the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act and the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act.

Local government officials said that the people who violated the laws on Saturday were all warned to desist and were reported to the relevant authorities.

The consequences will be subsequently determined by the respective local government election committees, the officials said. - Bernama, CNA