The KMT is going all out to take all five city council seats in Taipei's Neihu and Nangang districts, which would be bad news for the DPP's standing in the council, but a lukewarm campaign atmosphere this year has made it a tough race for newcomers.

• Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu accompanied city council candidate Chen Kuan-an as he registered his candidacy, and joined him on motorcade canvassing runs through Nangang and Neihu.
• The KMT's goal is to take all five Nangang-Neihu seats, while hoping the TPP wins six, holding the DPP to its current three.
• Blue-white cooperation is key: the KMT needs a majority in the city council to hold on to the speakership.
• Chen Kuan-an is the only newcomer among the five candidates; the other four all have local bases of support. He is seen as a future partner for Chiang Wan-an in the council.
• With the mood subdued this year, turnout has become a shared problem for both sides, and Lee Yen-hsiu has made getting out the vote her top priority.

Outlook: Ahead of the year-end local elections, how the blue and white camps divide the seats between them, and whether they can drive turnout, will determine the majority in the Taipei City Council and who holds the speakership.