* Voter turnout at Hong Kong’s legislative elections increased slightly compared to four years ago.
* In 2021, turnout was 30.2%. Turnout increased to 31.9% yesterday. However the number of eligible voters decreased by over 300,000, so in absolute numbers fewer people voted compared with four years ago.
* This is despite a multi-billion dollar campaign by the government to promote the election, combining posters, billboards and ads, as well as threats and arrests towards those expressing apathy. The campaign included a massive mobilization across the city’s senior centres. Free shuttle buses were also made available to fire victims to polling stations.
* Most incumbents seeking re-election were successful. As with four years ago, the liberal opposition pan-Democrats were barred from standing as candidates, with most former opposition lawmakers in prison or in exile.
* A few noteworthy newcomers to win seats include Olympic gold medalist fencer Vivian Kong, who won the seat representing the Tourism industry with 131 (purely corporate) votes to her opponent’s 23 despite her active Canadian citizenship. Another is Christine Fong, who in pre-NSL era parlance would have been considered a centrist “green-ribbon”. She gained notoriety in the early 2010s opposing government policies and pro-establishment parties on quality of life issues.
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Submission statement
* Voter turnout at Hong Kong’s legislative elections increased slightly compared to four years ago.
* In 2021, turnout was 30.2%. Turnout increased to 31.9% yesterday. However the number of eligible voters decreased by over 300,000, so in absolute numbers fewer people voted compared with four years ago.
* This is despite a multi-billion dollar campaign by the government to promote the election, combining posters, billboards and ads, as well as threats and arrests towards those expressing apathy. The campaign included a massive mobilization across the city’s senior centres. Free shuttle buses were also made available to fire victims to polling stations.
* Most incumbents seeking re-election were successful. As with four years ago, the liberal opposition pan-Democrats were barred from standing as candidates, with most former opposition lawmakers in prison or in exile.
* A few noteworthy newcomers to win seats include Olympic gold medalist fencer Vivian Kong, who won the seat representing the Tourism industry with 131 (purely corporate) votes to her opponent’s 23 despite her active Canadian citizenship. Another is Christine Fong, who in pre-NSL era parlance would have been considered a centrist “green-ribbon”. She gained notoriety in the early 2010s opposing government policies and pro-establishment parties on quality of life issues.