Taiwan's November local elections drew nearly 20,000 candidates, and a fight is brewing over whether one Chinese-born candidate is even allowed to run.

• Registration closed with about 19,700 people competing for 11,051 local offices across Taiwan — roughly the same turnout as four years ago.
• Among them are 26 candidates who are Chinese-born spouses; 19 are running for village or neighborhood chief, and one for mayor.
• Election officials say eligibility for city and county council seats is decided centrally, while smaller local races are judged by county election boards under the same rules.
• The flashpoint is Li Chen-hsiu, a former Taiwan People's Party lawmaker who lost her seat over a nationality dispute and is now running for mayor of Zhubei, forcing a decision on whether ten years must pass after giving up Chinese nationality.
• Her run also splits the opposition, colliding with both the Kuomintang candidate and her old party's pick in the same city.

Outlook: County election boards must finish vetting candidates by mid-October, when Li's eligibility — and the wider question of Chinese-born spouses holding office — will be settled.