Voter turnout in Hong Kong’s district council elections plummeted to a historic low as new rules implemented under Beijing’s guidance effectively prevented pro-democracy candidates from participating. Official data reveals that only 27.5% of the city’s 4.3 million registered voters cast their ballots, marking a significant decline from the record-breaking 71.2% turnout during the 2019 elections amid anti-government protests. The pro-democracy camp secured a landslide victory in those polls, showcasing public dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the protests.
The latest election results indicate that Beijing loyalists are poised to seize control over the district councils, with larger pro-government parties gaining more seats compared to independent candidates and smaller parties. District councils primarily oversee municipal matters such as organizing construction projects and managing public facilities. They were Hong Kong’s last major political bodies mainly elected by the public.
However, the new electoral rules introduced under Beijing’s directive stipulated that only patriots should administer the city. Candidates now need endorsements from at least nine members of government-appointed committees, mostly comprised of Beijing loyalists. This change has made it practically impossible for pro-democracy candidates to run for office. Additionally, a July amendment reduced the proportion of directly elected seats from around 90% to approximately 20%.
Several prominent pro-democracy activists have been arrested or have fled the territory following the implementation of a stringent national security law by Beijing in response to the 2019 protests. Critics argue that the low voter turnout reflects public sentiment toward the patriots only system and the government’s relentless crackdown on dissent.
The previous record-low turnout for council elections, since the city’s handover to Chinese rule, was 35.8% in 1999. These recent electoral changes further curtailed political freedoms in Hong Kong, following a separate overhaul of the legislature in 2021. Consequently, turnout in the last legislative election two years ago plummeted to 30% from 58% in 2016.
Hong Kong’s leader, John Lee, hailed the council elections as the final piece in implementing the principle of patriots administering the city. Government officials have sought to downplay the significance of the low turnout in assessing the success of the electoral overhaul. Nevertheless, they intensified efforts to promote the polls, organizing carnivals, an outdoor concert, and offering free admission to museums to encourage voting.
Due to a failure in the electronic voter registration system, Sunday’s elections were extended by 1 1/2 hours. Several politicians highlighted that this glitch would impact their chances of winning since some residents gave up on voting before the authorities implemented a contingency plan.
David Lok, the chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, refrained from commenting on the turnout. He acknowledged the possibility that some voters were unable to cast their ballots due to the system failure, expressing remorse if any errors on their part prevented people from voting.
In conclusion, Hong Kong’s district council elections witnessed a drastic decline in voter turnout as new rules effectively excluded pro-democracy candidates from running. The dominance of Beijing loyalists is expected to be consolidated in the district councils, raising concerns over the narrowing of political freedoms and the government’s crackdown on dissent.
