A record turnout of 1.2 million people voted yesterday in the most hotly contested district council elections in the city's history.
Of the 2.9 million eligible voters, 41.4 per cent cast their ballots, as 839 candidates contested 336 constituencies, while 76 councillors were returned uncontested. The count was expected to be completed by 4am today.
The turnout compared with 38.8 per cent in the 2007 district council polls and 44.06 per cent in 2003, when there were nearly 500,000 fewer registered voters.
Early results indicated the pan-democrats were in for a long and painful night.
Civic Party legislators Tanya Chan and Ronny Tong Ka-wah both lost out. Chan was beaten by the Liberal Party's Joseph Chan Ho-lim in the Peak constituency of Central and Western, while Tong lost to incumbent independent Wong Ka-wing in City One in Sha Tin.
Wong said he was surprised by the size of his victory, polling almost twice as many votes as Tong.
Another pan-democrat heavyweight, Lee Cheuk-yan of the Confederation of Trade Unions, was defeated by Wong Kwai-yung of the Federation of Trade Unions in the Fu Yan constituency in Yuen Long district.