Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act Article 23

Those who are applying to be registered as candidates for president and vice president by way of joint-signature petition shall, within five days after public notice for the election is issued, file an application with the Central Election Commission to be a prospective candidate by way of joint-signature petition apply for petition forms in the correct format, and pay a deposit of NT$1 million.After receiving the applications specified in the preceding paragraph and at a determined time, the Central Election Commission shall issue public notice of the applicants for candidacy by way of joint-signature petition, notify the prospective candidate by way of joint-signature petition to complete the joint-signature petition within forty-five days from the day after the public notice is issued, and to mail a written request to process the joint-signature petition documents submitted by prospective candidate or their proxy to the special municipality or county (city) election commission within the period for joint-signature petitions. However, in the case of a by-election or a new election, the documents shall be accepted within twenty-five days from the day after public notice is issued.Citizens of the free area of the Republic of China who are twenty years of age by the day public notice of the election is issued may sign the joint-signature petitions referenced in the preceding paragraph.If during the period prescribed in Paragraph 2, the number of petition signatures reaches 1.5% of the total qualified voters for the most recent election for president and vice president, the Central Election Commission shall, at a determined time, issue public notice of the success of the joint-signature petition, grant the prospective candidate a certificate of completion of the joint-signature petition, and return the deposit. If the number of signatures on the joint-signature petition does not reach a half of the number prescribed, the deposit shall not be returned.The prospective candidate or their proxy shall, during the period prescribed for collecting signatures, print the register of joint-signature petition signatures and affidavits in the format specified by the Central Election Commission. When signing a joint-signature petition, the signer shall produce a photocopy of their national identification (ID) card. A person who signs a petition shall only sign one petition for one pair of prospective candidates, and if they sign petitions for two or more pairs of prospective candidates, all signatures shall be null and void.After receiving the joint-signature petition documents referenced in the preceding paragraph, special municipality and county (city) election commissions shall perform a selective examination of the documents and report the results to the Central Election Commission. Under any of the following circumstances, the signature of a petition signer shall be removed:1. The petition signer is not in accordance with the provisions of Paragraphs 3 or 52. The name, date of birth, or identification number of the petition signer is illegible on the photocopy of their national identification (ID) card3. The petition signer has not signed their name or affixed their seal on the register of joint-signature petition signatures4. The signature of the joint-signature petition signer has been forgedThe joint-signature petition documents referenced in the preceding paragraph shall be kept for three months after the ballots are counted. If a lawsuit regarding the election is filed during the retaining period, the period shall be prolonged to expire three months after the final judgement.Regulations governing joint-signature petitions and examination of signatures shall be determined by the Central Election Commission.