Taiwanese voters have rejected a bid to oust about one-fifth of their lawmakers from the opposition Nationalist Party in a recall election.

Voters in Taiwan were casting ballots on Saturday on whether to recall one-fifth of the island's parliament, all from the major opposition party, in a move supporters hope will send a message to China and opponents say is an assault on democracy.

People in Taiwan voted on Saturday on whether to recall 24 lawmakers from the largest opposition Kuomintang party.