I Bought a Pricey Plane Ticket in Hopes of Voting for a United Taiwan

But Now There’s No Viable Party I Can Support

I’m 72 years old, but recently I made a rookie mistake. I believed that Taiwanese politicians, when they signed an agreement, would honor that agreement and seek unity.

Forgive me for the long story that follows, but this is a small country that produces a lot of long stories.

The story starts with me wanting to vote. While Taiwan’s people live all over the world, you can only vote in person, on the exact day of the election.

I’m Taiwanese and live in Taipei, but travel the world as a democracy activist. I …

by Sam Chang | January 10, 2024

A tight crowd of men and women, some sitting down, some standing. Political banners and pictures are seen above the people.

In Dhaka, the Roadblocks to Democracy Are Roadblocks

As the Election Looms in Bangladesh, Blockades Are More Than a Metaphor for the Obstacles Facing Voters

by SAYKOT KABIR SHAYOK | January 4, 2024

It’s election season in Bangladesh—the roads are closed, vehicles are burning, and the threat of violence is close.

As I write these sentences, the country’s chief opposition party—the Bangladesh Nationalist Party …

Why My Parents Backed Poland’s Far-Right Party

The Postwar Generation Struggled. I Hope That the Newly Elected Parliament Will Bring Them Into the Fold

by Anna Cichopek-Gajraj | January 3, 2024

“Poles are idiots!”

“What are poor people going to do?”

Last October, just days after Poland’s most recent parliamentary elections, I listened as my craggy-faced 83-year-old father angrily shouted these words through …

2024 Will Be the Biggest Election Year in World History

And That’s Not Good News for Democracy

by Joe Mathews | January 2, 2024

2024 will be the biggest election year in history. Some 4.2 billion people, or more than half of humanity, live in the 76 countries that are scheduled to …