Most of the world's internet traffic and significant amounts of energy move through cables on the ocean floor. If these are cut, a country can be digitally isolated in hours. For Taiwan, which is already in a tense situation with China, losing these cables could mean a total communications blackout during a crisis.

Voters should care because Taiwan produces the majority of the world's most advanced computer chips. If Taiwan's infrastructure is crippled, it could lead to global shortages of cars, phones, and computers, while also increasing the risk of a larger military conflict in the Pacific.