As political campaigns for November’s local elections get under way, some candidates are using creative and practical giveaways to woo voters’ attention and support.
Mayors, county commissioners, city and county council members, township mayors and council members, as well as local officials down to the neighborhood level, are to be elected nationwide on Nov. 26.
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the giveaway choices of many candidates, with a majority switching from pens and fans to masks.
Photo: Su Chin-feng, Taipei Times
However, as many people do not deem masks a memorable item, some candidates said they had come up with gifts that resonate with voters, while staying under the cost of NT$30 to avoid it being categorized as a bribe.
The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) candidate in Taichung’s fourth electoral district, Chang Ching-fen (張?分), who is seeking re-election, said that many people avoid taking fliers for fear of getting infected.
Chang said she plans to give out small bottles of hand cream when a local COVID-19 outbreak is brought under control, as the lotion can nourish skin that is subject to frequent washing.
Photo: Wang Jung-hsiang,Taipei Times
KMT Taichung City Councilor Lee Chung (李中), who is running in the city’s 11th electoral district, is giving out small sweat-absorbing handkerchiefs, which can be used to wipe the sweat off under Taichung’s often blazing sun, he said.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate in Taichung’s 11th electoral district, Chen Ya-hui (陳雅惠), is handing out environmentally friendly kitchen sink nets, which Chen said have been a big hit among homemakers.
The multifunctional nets can be slipped on kitchen sink strainers to filter out food residues and avoid blockage or used to hold soaps to allow bubbles to form easily when rubbed with water, she said.
The DPP candidate in Taichung’s third electoral district, Chang Chia-an (張家銨), gave out omamori, a type of Japanese amulet, to voters during the Dragon Boat Festival.
Taiwan People’s Party Taipei city council candidate Huang Ching-ying (黃?瑩) and KMT Kaohsiung city council candidate Pai Chiao-yin (白喬茵) placed their photographs on fenders of motorcycles to attract publicity, broadcaster TVBS reported.
Kaohsiung City Councilor Huang Jie (黃捷), who is running for re-election as an independent, posted two of her photographs on Facebook and asked the public which one would look better on fenders.
The campaign tool takes inspiration from a practice in the 1990s when motorcycle riders in Taiwan placed photos of “fender goddesses,” such as singer Tarcy Su (蘇慧倫) and actor Joey Wang (王祖賢), on their vehicles.
Additional reporting by Wang Jung-hsiang
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