Dealing With the Absence of Absentee Voting: Transnational Electoral Mobilisation in Taiwan’s 2020 Presidential Elections

ABSTRACT: Oriented within political transnationalism, this paper examines emigrants’ participation in homeland elections in the context of the institutional absence of an external voting system. Deploying a case study in a Taiwanese community in Vienna (Austria) and a mixed-methods design, it tackles the processes, actors, and practices of transnational electoral mobilisation during the 2020 presidential elections in Taiwan. Shaped by identity politics, the local Taiwanese community’s organisational landscape facilitates direct and indirect electoral mobilisation. Associations serve as important entry points for politicians, and as platforms for individuals to rally political support. A sizeable share decided to return to Taiwan, time and financial costs notwithstanding. Though only indicative, data suggests that the presidential candidates mobilised more overseas voters than in the 2016 elections. KEYWORDS: Taiwan, Overseas Taiwanese, political transnationalism, electoral mobilisation, 2020 presidential elections.