Superintendent of Education Election

A contribution act refers to an act of providing, or expressing an intention to provide, money, goods, or other property benefits to persons, institutions, organizations, or facilities within the relevant electoral district, or to gatherings or events of voters in the district.

It also includes the act of providing or promising a benefit to a person, institution, organization, or facility that, even though located outside the relevant electoral district, has a connection with voters in that district.

The act of spreading false information unfavorable to a candidate or of slandering a particular candidate is also treated severely as a violation of the Public Official Election Act.

In such a case, the person is punished for defamation together with the election law violation, and because false information can affect the election result, courts tend to impose heavy sentences.

Conducting an election campaign before election day, or carrying out an opinion poll for a particular candidate, is regarded as a violation of the Public Official Election Act.

This is a measure to strictly limit the start time of election campaigning in order to ensure the fairness of the election, and a person is punished if detected.

Public Official Election Act, Article 257, Paragraphs 2 and 4

In addition, where a fact that harms a person's social reputation is stated, even if the fact is true, it may be punished as defamation if it does not serve the public interest or if the manner of expression is insulting.

Criminal Act (Penal Code), Article 307 (Defamation)

Public Official Election Act, Article 254 (Violation of the Election Campaign Period)

You must clearly identify the type of charge applied to you.

For example, there may be various unlawful acts such as a contribution act, dissemination of false information, or pre-election campaigning, so you should systematically gather and organize evidence such as text messages, social media posts, photographs, and videos.

You should also briefly record the time, place, and circumstances in which the violation occurred.

You should determine whether the act actually violates the law and objectively analyze whether the unlawful act was committed intentionally or whether it resulted from a mistake or misunderstanding.

If intent is denied, it is advisable to build the response strategy around this point.

When the police or an election commission requests your appearance for questioning, you should confirm the exact date and time of the appearance and attend without fail.

Failing to appear without notice may result in legal disadvantages, so you should promptly arrange the schedule.

It can be advantageous to prepare a written statement or summary covering the overall case before appearing.

During questioning, you should refrain from emotional reactions and give clear answers based on facts.

You should honestly acknowledge anything you do not remember or do not know, and avoid false statements or exaggerated claims.

If the case proceeds to the trial stage, you should organize your position systematically and secure objective evidence.

Through preparing a letter of apology, making efforts toward victim compensation, and submitting a settlement agreement, you should prepare materials that may help in reducing the sentence.

Throughout the trial, you should maintain statements grounded in facts and refrain from unreasonable claims or false statements.

Prospective candidates and those involved in the campaign should become thoroughly familiar with the relevant regulations to prevent unlawful conduct, while general voters should actively refuse improper requests or suspicious conduct when faced with them and secure evidence.