To encourage the vote, authorities offered free public transport in an unprecedented move, and sent out reminder messages a day before the polls. Police chief Raymond Siu said about 10,000 officers would be deployed to make sure the election proceeded smoothly. Heavy police presence surrounded polling stations Sunday. Hong Kong’s largest opposition party, the Democratic Party, fielded no candidates. The decision was opposed by the pro-democracy camp, which accused the government of using the outbreak to delay the vote. The elections were originally scheduled to take place in September last year, but were postponed with authorities citing public health risks due to the pandemic. Some 4.4 million residents were eligible to vote. Under the new election laws, incitement to boycott and casting invalid votes can lead to up to three years in jail and a 200,000 Hong Kong dollar ($26,500) fine. Three protesters from the League of Social Democrats staged a small demonstration across the street from a polling station Sunday morning, chanting “I want real universal suffrage.”Ĭonstitutional and Mainland Affairs Minister Erick Tsang warned that foreign forces may be attempting to undermine the elections after overseas activists urged a boycott of the vote. “The polls today were conducted in an open, fair and honest manner and the overall process was generally smooth,” Lam’s statement said.įinal results were expected later Monday, and Lam was expected to travel to Beijing the same day to report on the outcome to central government leaders. “I would say that the government has not set any target for voter turnout rate, not for this election, not for previous elections, because there is a combination of factors that will affect the voter turnout rate in any election,” she said.įollowing the close of voting, Lam issued a statement saying the “improved” electoral system had worked as intended. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam visited a polling station Sunday morning and said she had “no particular expectation” about the turnout. “I am a patriot, and I just hope for peace and quiet, and to have a good livelihood.” “I am voting to choose a new bunch of people to make Hong Kong a better place,” Yu said. Others, such as Yu Wai-kwan, saw the election as a chance to vote for a better Hong Kong. “Although there is a chance to vote for pro-establishment and democracy candidates, there are few democratic choices, so Hong Kong people do not feel enthusiastic when it comes to voting,” he said. Warton Leung, who did not intend to vote in Sunday’s election, said that the lack of choice in candidates dampened enthusiasm for voting.
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