Taiwan's local election season is opening in Nantou County, where the two main candidates for county chief are picking their registration days for symbolic effect.

• Registration for the nine-in-one local elections runs from August 31 to September 4.
• The Democratic Progressive Party's Wen Shih-cheng will sign up on the first morning, a gesture meant to signal he is out in front of the pack.
• Sitting county chief Hsu Shu-hua, running again for the Kuomintang, picked September 2 instead, judged the luckiest date in the traditional almanac.
• Hsu plans to bring the party's 13 township and city mayor candidates along with her to show a united front.
• Candidates for county chief and county council register with the county election commission; everyone else signs up at their local township office.

Outlook: Both camps will spend the coming weeks courting voters directly, with the campaign proper starting once registration closes on September 4.