TAIPEI -- Ballot counting has been going on since 4 p.m. Saturday when polling stations closed for Taiwan's "legislator" election.

Security personnel guard a polling station on January 12, 2008. [cnphoto]

Results were expected to come out around 10:30 p.m.

Taiwan people went to more than 14,400 polling stations on Saturday to select the 113 members of "legislative Yuan" (the island's legislature).

Voter turnout was estimated to be higher than the 59.2 percent in the election four years ago, according to an official in charge of the election.

In Nantou County, a polling station was short of more than 400 ballots. Several cases concerning the violation of voting rules were reported in some parts of Taiwan.

Nearly 300 candidates are competing for the legislative seats in more than 70 precincts across the island.

Voters cast two ballots -- one for a specific "legislator" candidate in their precinct and the other for the party of their choice. Some "legislators" will be chosen by the parties in accordance with the percentage of votes they got.

Taiwan's "legislative Yuan" has been streamlined from 225 seats to 113 in an effort to improve efficiency.