Hong Kong elections record high voter turnout at 71.2% amid pro democracy protests

Hong Kong recorded an increase in voter turnout with 71.2 per cent of the city's 4.1 million registered voters casting their ballots by the time the polls closed, the figures sharply exceeded the 47 per cent turnout in the same election back in 2015. 

71.2 per cent voter turn out in Hongkong

This election is the first election to be held in the country after massive protests broke out in the country against the government after it proposed a controversial extradition bill. The bill now stands withdrawn. Total turnout exceeded 2.94 million voters, a rate of 71 per cent, surpassing a record from the previous legislative council election in 2016 of about 1.47 million. A record 4.1 million people, including 400,000 new voters, signed up to cast ballots in the poll. 

Elections amid high political instability

In the wake of political instability, the results of the election matter a lot. The results will be seen as a barometer of support for the anti-government protest movement, currently underway in the country. The results of the local elections will also affect the Legislative Council elections next year.

A total of 1,090 candidates are contesting 452 seats. This is the first time that all the seats in the election have been contested after hundreds of pro-democracy candidates emerged during the recent unrest. 'District council work is very grassroots and pro-democracy candidates may not have a proven track record in serving people due to lack of financial resources', said Associate Professor Alfred Wu of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. Voting was peaceful, with hardly anyone was seen wearing protesters’ trademark black clothing or face masks as they went to the polls, said a local. 

More than 5,000 people have been arrested in Hong Kong during the months of demonstrations. The protests started in June over a now-abandoned extradition bill. However, it later escalated to include demands for democratic elections for the city’s leader and legislature, and an independent probe into alleged police brutality in suppressing the protests.

(With Agency inputs)

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