Support young people to return home and vote! Local civil servant elections will be held on November 28. The Taiwan Youth Democratic Association has teamed up with multiple youth groups and university student unions to launch the "2026 Youth Democracy Return Home Train Fundraising Action". It will raise transportation funds through the online platform flying V and arrange special buses for returning home, lowering the threshold for young people from other places to participate in local elections, helping young people cope with transportation costs and difficulty in finding tickets, and reducing the time and financial burden of returning home to vote.
Yang Ziying, chairman of the Taiwan Youth Democratic Association, explained that young people may leave their hometowns for study or work, but they still care about life in their hometowns. The chiefs and public opinion representatives elected in local elections will participate in determining public affairs in their hometowns in the next few years. We hope that young people who have left their hometowns can continue to participate in the future of their hometowns even if they live outside their hometowns.
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Chen Yuren, chairman of the Taiwan Student Federation, said that for many young people who leave their hometowns to study, the issue they face is often not "whether they want to go home" but "whether they can go home." It is hoped that through cross-school resource integration and charter bus planning, students’ transportation costs can be reduced.
Sun Chuanzhe, president of the National Taiwan University Students Association, expressed his hope that through fund-raising support, the 128 yuan ticket price can reduce the cost for young people to go home to vote, so that more young people studying abroad can actually participate in public affairs in their hometowns, and let the voices of young students be heard in local elections.
Chung Wei-hsuan, deputy public relations director of the National Taiwan University Graduate Student Association, pointed out that graduate students often have to balance coursework, research and work, and return home to vote also face time and financial cost constraints. It is not that young people lack the will to participate in public, but they need a friendlier environment for participation, and they hope to lower the voting threshold through the "Youth Democracy Return Train".
Li Yujie, a researcher on youth thought, believes that local elections are directly related to youth rights. The construction of social housing and rent subsidies all involve local powers, and young people are actually very concerned about local issues such as transportation, cultural industries, environment, and gender equality. We call on young people to actively return to their hometowns to vote so that urban governance can take more care of the rights of young people.
Cai Qiye, chairman of the EdYouth Taiwan Education Association, mentioned that he is from Kinmen, studied in Taipei, and is also a first-time investor in this year’s election. Even if you are willing to participate in public affairs in your hometown, the cost of actually returning home may still be a barrier. But this is not only the experience of voting for the first time in life, but also an important opportunity to get to know your hometown and participate in local public affairs.
Duan Liping, a first-class immigrant, said that in the past, when faced with dissatisfaction in life, he might seek change through community postings, student self-governance, or communication with teachers; now that he has the right to vote, he also has a way to directly participate in public affairs in his hometown. I hope that my participation will encourage my peers around me to return home together, and that the voices of the younger generation will be valued by candidates.
