Taiwan's local election season is getting underway in Nantou County, where the two main candidates for county chief have each picked a symbolic day to file their paperwork.

• Registration for the nationwide local elections runs from August 31 to September 4.
• DPP candidate Wen Shih-cheng will file on the first morning, meant to signal he is out in front.
• KMT incumbent Hsu Shu-hua, seeking another term, chose September 2, the luckiest day on the traditional calendar.
• Hsu plans to bring all 13 of her party's township and city candidates with her to project unity.
• Wen says filing early frees him up to spend more time meeting voters and pitching his platform.

Outlook: Once registration closes in early September, the race narrows to a straight KMT-DPP contest ahead of the year-end vote.