Registration for Nantou County's local elections has closed, setting up crowded council races and a tight fight for shrinking seats in the Third District.

• 61 people registered across eight council districts, one fewer than four years ago.
• The First District drew the most candidates, with 17 fighting for 10 seats.
• The Third District lost a seat as its population fell, so four sitting members and two newcomers now battle for three spots — the tightest race in the county.
• The DPP finally filled all 13 township and city chief slots, recruiting a coffee grower in Guoxing and a township office secretary in Yuchi.
• Ballot papers now ask candidates to declare whether they hold or gave up foreign citizenship, a question aimed at immigrant candidates; the only one affected, a Chinese-born spouse, ticked both boxes but would not say publicly whether she renounced her Chinese nationality.

Outlook: The election commission must now rule on candidate eligibility, and the closest contests will be the Third District council seats and the four-way race for Shuili township chief.