Voter turnout plunges below 30% in Hong Kong election after rules shut out pro-democracy candidates

By KANIS LEUNG
Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — Voter turnout plunged below 30% in Hong Kong’s first district council elections since new rules introduced under Beijing’s guidance effectively shut out all pro-democracy candidates. It was the lowest level since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. According to official data, 27.5% of the city’s 4.3 million registered voters cast ballots in Sunday’s polls — significantly less than the record 71.2% who participated in the last elections at the height of anti-government protests in 2019. The pro-democracy camp won those polls in a landslide victory. Critics say voters are dismayed by the new electoral rules and by the government’s crackdown on dissent and chose not to participate.