In both Han and Indigenous electoral constituencies, the proportion of women elected to city and county councils has shown a steady upward trend. While female candidates from both groups encounter comparable challenges during their campaigns, significant differences remain. This exploratory study seeks to identify and analyze the key factors that influence Indigenous women’s candidacies in local council elections. Drawing on qualitative data collected through indepth interviews, this paper focuses on the recruitment processes of Indigenous female candidates, the structural and cultural barriers and opportunities encountered during electoral campaigns, and the candidates’ perspectives on women’s participation in the political sphere. Findings indicate that, in contrast to the female reserved seat system implemented in Han constituencies, the effectiveness of such mechanisms in Indigenous districts is relatively constrained, functioning primarily as an incentive for candidacy rather than a guarantee of representation. Although traditional customs may limit female candidates’ participation in certain ceremonial or cultural activities, the decreasing resistance from clan structures has opened up greater space for women to engage in electoral politics. Notably, candidates who secure support from their clan networks are more likely to achieve electoral success. Electoral mobilisation in Indigenous constituencies tends to rely on an outreach strategy, involving face-to-face engagement with individual voters. Religious institutions, particularly churches, serve as critical venues for campaign activities. However, non-Christian candidates may find their outreach capacities restricted due to limited access to these communal platforms. Furthermore, proficiency in Indigenous languages has been found to enhance candidates’ ability to broaden their support base among voters.

Overall, the dynamics of clan and tribal politics significantly shape the distinctive features of Indigenous elections, underscoring the structural divergences from electoral practices observed in Han constituencies.

「帶職參選」是台灣選舉常見的現象，一些民選政治人物會在任期結束之前投入另一場選戰，追求更高的政治職位。政治人物「帶職參選」的話題，也常在選戰中引起諸多討論。國內外有許多研究，係從民主政治中政治晉陞的角度著眼，以候選人的角度探討政治結構的晉陞機會以及候選人競選策略等議題，鮮少從選民的角度出發，探討選民究竟如何看待候選人「帶職參選」行為。本文選擇2012至2020年間三次立委選舉作為觀察標的，並使用「聯合分析」的實驗方法執行網路調查，分析不同條件之下選民是否接受政治人物向上晉陞的行為，據以瞭解選民如何看待「帶職參選」的候選人。本研究發現：雖然較多民眾對於「帶職參選」抱持負面的看法，然而在考量候選人各項背景時，「帶職參選」卻成為候選人有利的條件。相較於無現任職位的候選人，民眾較傾向支持具有現任議員身分的候選人。儘管「帶職參選」對候選人的形象有負面影響，但「帶職參選」同時也代表候選人具有一定的政治經驗，其政治經驗帶來的正面效果遠大於「帶職參選」的負面效應。