Taiwan's Penghu islands are already dealing with dozens of election-crime cases nearly three months before voting day, a bad sign for the fairness of the race.

• Penghu prosecutors have opened 35 cases of election interference as of the end of August.
• The local elections are set for November 28, and the field of candidates is unusually crowded.
• Police, investigators, and anti-corruption and border agencies met to coordinate their crackdown.
• The focus is on vote-buying, violence, election gambling rings, fake news, and foreign meddling.
• Officials are also checking for people who register a fake address just to vote in a district.

Outlook: Expect more cases as the race heats up, with prosecutors pushing tip-offs through a hotline that offers rewards of up to NT$20 million for reports leading to conviction.