In the recent local elections in Hong Kong, voter turnout reached its lowest levels in thirty years, perhaps due to the disappearance of real alternatives in the wake of China’s seizure of power. This was stated by David Luke, Chairman of the Electoral Commission Only 27.5% of the 4.3 million eligible voters participated in Sunday’s elections. This is the lowest turnout since the 1994 vote under then British colonial governor Chris Patten.
This low turnout represents a significant shift from the previous election in 2019, which saw a record 71% turnout and a landslide victory for pro-democracy candidates.
Even then, locals weren’t really happy with the results: the Chinese Communist Party, led by President Xi Jinping, introduced a sweeping national security law in Hong Kong, and many people were imprisoned as a result. In addition, the set of laws made it impossible for pro-democracy candidates to run in the elections.
John Burns, a professor at the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong, noted that if the authorities had allowed some democratic or moderate candidates to run, the turnout would have been higher.
Most of the candidates this year were pro-China politicians. In order to nominate themselves, they needed the support of government-appointed committees filled with Beijing loyalists. Low Kin-hee, head of the Hong Kong Democratic Party, declined to comment on the current elections after his party failed to win a nomination.
Cover photo: Hong Kong Governor John Lee (second from right) helps count votes on Sunday. Cover image credit: Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
