Update: 11/25 1:00 p.m.
Results show the pro-democracy opposition has trounced the pro-establishment camp, winning at least 387 seats compared to pro-Beijing councilors' 59 at the time of writing. Turnout reached historic proportions, with over 71 percent of the electorate, or nearly three million people, casting their vote, surpassing the 47 percent rate seen in the 2015 elections.
HONG KONG (Taiwan News) — A rare calm settled over Hong Kong as its residents headed to the polls on Sunday (Nov. 24) for the first time since the now-withdrawn extradition bill ignited the protests that have racked the city for more than five months.
The district councilor elections are being viewed as a barometer for the public's support of China-backed Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) and her government. Voters came out in droves to register their verdict.
Polls opened at 7:30 a.m., and by 10:30 a.m., more than 17 percent of the 4.31 million registered voters had cast their ballot. Two hours later that number had risen to more than 42 percent, according to a city government press release.
The heavy early turnout was at least partially due to rumors that the city government would interfere with the electoral process. One Hong Kong man in his 20s, surnamed Wong, on Saturday (Nov. 23) voiced a concern held by many in the pro-democracy movement that "the government will do their best to stop people from voting," possibly by closing polls prematurely after the early rising, establishment-leaning elderly had cast their ballots.
He said he felt that the heavy police presence, purportedly stepped up at election sites for security reasons, might actually be intended more to intimidate than reassure voters. At the time of writing, there have not been any reports of police affecting turnout, although several polling stations were closed due to police concerns over "security."
All 452 elected seats in Hong Kong's 18 districts were up for grabs, with some 1,090 candidates in the running. District councilors mostly serve a local role during their four-year terms, effectively only acting as intermediaries between their constituents and the city government, advising on the effectiveness of public works programs and on "matters affecting the well-being of the people in the district," according to the elections website.
Nevertheless, district councilors can potentially tip the balance of power in the special administrative region (SAR). In particular, they can choose about 10 percent of the members of the 1,200-member election committee — the body that will determine the embattled Carrie Lam's successor in 2022, provided that Beijing does not see fit to replace her sooner.
Independent pro-democracy councilor Clarisse Yeung (楊雪盈) and supporters greeted voters as they came to and from the polling station outside Hong Kong Central Library. Yeung, who is running for a second term as a councilor for Wan Chai's Tai Hang constituency, told Taiwan News that her two main aims are ensuring Hongkongers have a platform for making their voices heard and encouraging them to better informed and more involved.
As for the months-long period of unrest, Yeung remarked that the Hong Kong government had for too long "neglected the people's [desire] for universal suffrage. She said that young people in the city "dream of the future" and should be guided and guarded, as should be the freedom of the press and freedom to protest.
Voting will continue until polls close at 10:30 p.m. Sunday night.
Voters line up to vote outside Hong Kong Central Library at Causeway Bay. (Taiwan News/Micah McCartney photo)
Riot police on patrol as voters cast their ballots. (Taiwan News/Micah McCartney photo)
Pro-Democracy District Councilor Clarisse Yeung greets voters Sunday. (Taiwan News/Micah McCartney photo)
