Taiwan Conference: Bilateral Ballot Boxes: U.S. Midterms, Taiwan’s Local Elections, and Policy Trajectories

The 2026 U.S. midterm elections and Taiwan’s 2026 local elections unfold during landmark democratic anniversaries: the United States’ semiquincentennial and the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct presidential election. These parallel milestones provide a unique lens for examining how democratic identity, institutional resilience, and cross‑Strait geopolitics shape electoral behavior in both polities. In the United States, midterm dynamics reflect heightened economic anxieties, rising consumer prices, shifting partisan narratives, and growing voter concerns over affordability and foreign