The Patriotic vote in Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, residents are casting their votes today in the city’s first “patriots only” district council election. This follows an electoral overhaul that has made it nearly impossible for pro-democracy candidates to appear on the ballot. This dramatic change significantly limits the choices for residents, essentially leaving them to vote for Beijing loyalists.
The new voting system stands in stark contrast to the 2019 district council election, where pro-democracy candidates scored a landslide victory in the Chinese-ruled city, marking a significant historical win for them. This victory came after months of anti-government mass protests and a record 71 percent turnout.
However, under the revised electoral system announced in May, only 88 out of 470 seats will be directly elected and candidates must be approved by government-appointed committees. More than 70 percent of the candidates for directly elected seats are themselves members of the vetting committees.
The electoral overhaul has drawn criticism from various political groups in Hong Kong. The Democratic Party, the city’s largest opposition party, was unable to secure nominations for any of its candidates. Centrists and even some pro-establishment moderates have also complained of being excluded by the new rules.
This electoral restructuring follows the passing of a national security law in 2020, which severely constrained democratic activism in the former British colony. The law has all but wiped out democratic sentiments in the region, which was supposed to enjoy unique freedoms not found in mainland China under the “one country, two systems” arrangement.
Authorities in Hong Kong have been working to generate enthusiasm for the election among the public by organizing free concerts and fairs, waiving museum entry fees, putting up posters, and offering payments to community centers to encourage elderly citizens to vote. They have also deployed more than 12,000 police officers around the city and have warned against attempts to undermine the vote.
Despite these efforts, many Hong Kongers have expressed apathy about the election, with voter turnout reported to be a little higher than 6 percent as of 10:30 am local time. This figure is significantly lower than the turnout in 2019 and 2016 under more democratic rules.
Finn Lau, a Hong Kong democracy activist based in the UK, described the latest district council vote as “pointless” and criticized it as a “fully controlled, gamed system devised by the Beijing regime and Hong Kong authorities.” Lau added that the election is being used to build legitimacy for autocratic actions and the suppression of civil liberties, as well as the destruction of the rule of law and international promises under the Sino-British joint declaration.
Despite the low turnout, the election is seen as an important barometer of Hong Kong’s political landscape under the new electoral system. However, for many residents and activists like Finn Lau, the outcome of this vote is unlikely to change their views on the erosion of democratic freedoms in the city.