00:00Mayoral hopefuls from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party rally supporters in Kaohsiung.
00:05The southern city is one of four races in Taiwan's 2026 local elections
00:09where the incumbent mayors are reaching their term limits,
00:12and new talent are hoping for the chance to make a difference.
00:16Although the race is a year away, local elections are often viewed as precursors to the presidential vote
00:22and as a gauge of public support for each party.
00:25And that's a key metric, as Taiwan's government is currently split between the DPP
00:29and an opposition bloc composed of the Kuomintang and the smaller Taiwan People's Party.
00:35Vying for every vote they can, lawmakers are pushing to allow absentee voting.
00:42By law, voters must return to where their household is registered,
00:46which is often not where they live or work.
00:48But the opposition wants people to be able to vote from anywhere within the country.
00:52I hope the民進黨 will be able to look at the world and the countries.
00:57The election of the DPP has already become a standard.
01:01Don't let the election of the election of the DPP be a red flag.
01:05It may be because of school and work,
01:08it may not be able to vote for the young people to vote.
01:12Lawmakers from the DPP have concerns.
01:14Election interference has long been a key issue in Taiwan,
01:17and China often tries to influence results
01:19using outright manipulation or online influence campaigns.
01:39Instead, the DPP has proposed a different way
01:41to give voters more time to get home,
01:43letting them take off work the day before an election.
01:46Each party's proposals will be sent to committee
01:48for review and revision.
02:02With a year to go before the high-stakes 2026 local elections,
02:06the rules of the game could still change,
02:08making it a race like never before.
02:11Scott Huang and Tiffany Wong for Taiwan Plus.
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