TAIPEI, Jan. 17 -- Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang (KMT) started electing a new chairperson on Saturday morning and the result is expected to be announced around 6 to 7 p.m..

A total of 485 polling-booths are set up across the island for the election which starts from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.. The former KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou and the acting party chief Wu Den-yih will vote in Taipei City while the chairmanship candidate Eric Chu casting his vote in the New Taipei City.

Ma stepped down as the chairman on Dec. 3 of 2014, handing over the rein to the party's first vice chairman Wu Den-yih as interim chief.

According to the party's charter, the interim chief is tasked with organizing a new election for a replacement to serve out the predecessor's remaining term within three months of a chairmanship vacancy.

Mayor of the New Taipei City Chu, also one of the vice chairmen, who announced his running for the chairmanship election in December, is the sole candidate, bringing more than 100,000 signatures from KMT members backing his bid.

The candidate will win the election as long as he gains more than half of the votes by the 349,374 KMT members who are eligible to vote. Chu will take office as the chairman the next Monday once he is elected.