Premiered on 7 Nov 2026
China’s Massive Election: 1 Billion Voters, 2.6 Million Representatives
While the world focuses on the US midterms, China is quietly running one of the largest elections on Earth. Right now, one billion registered voters are selecting 2.6 million grassroots representatives at the county and township levels. Chinese President Xi Jinping even cast his own vote this week — something almost completely ignored by Western media.
In this video I break down exactly how China’s current grassroots elections work as part of its Whole-Process People’s Democracy system. These aren’t top-down appointments. Ordinary citizens over 18 can both vote and be nominated by just ten other voters, and candidates don’t even have to be Communist Party members.
I also respond to some hilariously uninformed comments from Westerners online, including an American professor who confidently asked when China last voted (then blocked me after the facts), and others claiming Chinese elections are just “choosing between party puppets.” Along the way I compare China’s nomination process to the heavily vetted, party-controlled systems used in places like New Zealand.
Did you know these elections were happening? And why do you think Western outlets almost never cover them?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments. If you found this useful, like and subscribe for more clear-eyed reporting on China from Shanghai.
