Taiwan's year-end local elections formally kicked off in Hsinchu County, where the first candidates to register were all from the ruling-opposition KMT — a neutral but telling early sign of party organization.

• Registration for the five-in-one local elections opened and runs through Friday, September 4.
• The county election commission handles the county magistrate and council races, while town and village posts are filed locally.
• The first four to sign up for council seats were all KMT members, three of them incumbents seeking another term.
• The one newcomer is a materials PhD and former green-energy researcher, campaigning on schools, hospitals and transport.
• Two of the four candidates come from political families, showing how local seats often pass within the same circles.

Outlook: More candidates from other parties are expected to file before the deadline, setting up the full field for the year-end vote.