So much is at stake with the drastically revamped Legislative Council election that every detail is bound to attract close scrutiny. From candidates’ eligibility and their being representative to voting arrangements and turnout rate, any missteps may fuel further scepticism and undermine public recognition of the poll. Every effort must be made to ensure the election will be supported by the people. An official panel on Friday cleared the way after vetting candidates that saw only one of 154 aspirants disqualified, and then not on national security grounds but on account that they were a part-time government employee . This may help counter the perception that candidates are subject to heavy political screening under a new electoral system to ensure only patriots have a say in city affairs. But the outcome may have been different had key pan-democrat groups not snubbed the polls in protest against what they saw as unfair vetting. Chief Secretary for Administration John Lee Ka-chiu was adamant that the vetting decisions showed there was no intention to foster “political uniformity”. Describing the candidates as being highly representative, Lee said the revamp would ensure the legislature would not use “two systems” to resist “one country”. There can be no dispute that the two components are equally important under the governance model, but concerns remain as to whether the overhaul can accommodate opposition figures to provide meaningful checks and balances. Even though the ballot is still a month away, politicians and commentators are already playing down concerns over a possible low turnout rate. With some people still critical of the revamp and a lack of prominent candidates from the other side of the political spectrum, the turnout will be a litmus test of public support for the new system. Lee would not be drawn on numbers, but vowed under a new offence to go after those who incite others not to vote. What mattered, he said, was whether the election could return candidates broadly representative of society to prevent a repeat of chaos in the legislature. The government will have to work harder to convey its message and convince voters to do their duty.