My Take | Election apathy is inevitable when voters are denied a free choice
- Voters at last Sunday’s “patriots-only” poll had to choose between pro-establishment contenders. Many regarded this as no choice at all
Drones lit up the night sky on the eve of Hong Kong’s District Council election with the message: “Vote tomorrow.”
Most of the city’s registered voters, however, chose not to heed the call. The turnout for last Sunday’s election was a dismal 27.54 per cent, the lowest since Hong Kong returned to China 26 years ago. This unprecedented level of voter apathy was no surprise. The election was the first since a dramatic shake-up of the system to ensure only “patriots” could stand. Not one opposition candidate secured enough nominations to compete. Voters were, therefore, left with a choice between contenders from the pro-establishment camp. Many regarded this as no choice at all.
The slashing of directly-elected seats from almost 95 per cent to 19 per cent, with the rest appointed by the government or chosen by committees stacked with its supporters, further dampened interest.
Officials had gone to extraordinary lengths to get people out to vote. There were public appeals, posters, television advertisements and social media posts, culminating in “District Council Election Fun Day” with concerts, exhibitions, and fairs. All this for a turnout more than eight percentage points short of the previous low in 1999.
It is a far cry from the last District Council election, during anti-government protests in 2019, which saw a record turnout of 71.23 per cent and a landslide victory for the opposition.
The government put a brave face on the lack of enthusiasm. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu described the turn out as “good”. Some had predicted it could be as low as 20 per cent.
