Democracy in Action: A Campaign Rally from the 2012 Taiwanese Presidential Elections

The 2012 Taiwanese presidential elections marked the fifth election in which the citizens of the Republic of China have selected their president by direct vote. The race was a long and exciting one with three major candidates: the incumbent, Ma Ying-jeou, a member of the Guomindang or KMT; Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) challenger Tsai Ing-wen; and potential third-party spoiler James Soong of the People First Party. As Taiwan’s democratic process has matured since the first direct election in 1996, international observers have had the opportunity to witness Taiwanese democracy in action by following candidates on the campaign trail. A member of a SAIS delegation studying the 2012 election, the photographer attended a rally the evening before the election to observe the DPP campaign at work.