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SCMP Reporters

The polls have closed in Hong Kong's district council elections, which saw the largest turnout in the city's history, far surpassing the record held by the 2016 Legislative Council election.
Residents began heading to the polls in their droves from 7.30am on Sunday morning. They are voting for 452 district councillors, who oversee everyday neighbourhood affairs.
The poll carries more significance than in most years, as the results will be seen as a barometer of support for the anti-government protest movement now roiling the city. They could also exert more pressure on embattled leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to find new ways to resolve the impasse.

The city has enjoyed a rare respite from violent protests over the past four days after one of the fiercest weeks of clashes between black-clad radicals and police. Still, officers are keeping watch over the more than 600 polling stations.
Follow our on-the-ground reporting by Cissy Zhou, Karen Yeung, Gigi Choy, Alvin Lum, Kinling Lo, Lilian Cheng, Phila Siu, Kimmy Chung, Yujing Liu, Nectar Gan, Gary Cheung, Ng Kang-chung, Jeffie Lam, Tony Cheung and Sum Lok-kei.


As it happened: record number of Hongkongers at district council elections

A polling station in To Kwa Wan closes following a record turnout at Hong Kong's district council elections. Photo: Sam Tsang

As it happened: pro-Beijing camp licks wounds after hammering in Hong Kong district council elections

No protests, no violence, no tear gas: not your usual Sunday in Hong Kong, as voters join peaceful, snaking queues

News

Hong Kong

Politics

Supporters of pro-democracy candidate Angus Wong celebrate his victory. Photo: AP

Hongkongers queue up to vote outside a polling station on Sunday. Photo: AP

Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit appears for the district council election at polling stations in Lek Yuen Estate. 24NOV19 SCMP / Winson Wong

A political campaigner holds up a sign to arriving voters during the district council elections in North Point in Hong Kong on November 24, 2019. - Hong Kong voted in district council elections in a ballot the city's pro-democracy movement hoped would send a message to the Beijing-backed government. (Photo by VIVEK PRAKASH / AFP)

Ken Au, 19, says the death of university student Chow Sze-lok near a confrontation site between police and protesters has encouraged him to cast a vote in the elections. The Polytechnic University student spend time every week to linger around and read the pro-democracy posters a Lennon Wall set up near the car park where Chow fell from and got injured. "I've been feeling quite helpless and pessimistic about the [anti-government] movement lately, so I come here to find some encouragement and energy," says Au, who works a weekend job near the car park in Tseung Kwan O. Au, a first-time voter, says he felt a sense of responsibility to continue the pursue of democracy and other demands of the movement on behalf of Chow, who is no longer able to do so. "I want to vote out the pro-establishment camp from within the system," he says. 24NOV19 SCMP/ Yujing Liu

People line up to vote outside of a polling place in Hong Kong, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019. Long lines formed outside Hong Kong polling stations Sunday in elections that have become a barometer of public support for anti-government protests now in their sixth month. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)


More than 2.7 million people cast their vote as turnout far surpasses previous record in Legislative Council election of 2016
Results in local contests considered a barometer of support for the anti-government protests roiling the city



Hongkongers from across the political spectrum hit the polls early, more than doubling 2015's turnout rate for the first three hours of voting, in local contests which will be seen as a barometer of support for the anti-government protests roiling the city.


Hong Kong district council election

Hong Kong protests

Live

The elections, which take place every four years, allow voters to directly elect members to the 18 district councils in the city.
For the first time, all 452 seats are being contested, with 1,090 candidates competing.
Councillors handlle community-level affairs such as transport and public facilities, but the polls are likely to reflect wider concerns relating to the protests.
During the last elections in 2015, the pro-establishment camp won 298 out of the 431 contested seats, while the pan-democrats took 126 and independents got seven.


What are these elections about?

The MTR Corporation says services will stop at 11pm to facilitate voting, but that could change following risk assessments.     Hung Hom and University stations and some exits across the network remain shut.
Services have been ending earlier than 11pm during recent weeks of unrest.


Rail services to run until 11pm

By 9.30am, 430,000 people had cast their vote at polling stations across the city. Large queues formed with some waiting more than an hour to mark their ballot paper.
Only 120,000 had turned out within that timescale in 2015, when the last district council elections were held.
A record 4.1 million Hong Kong residents are registered to vote, as 1,090 candidates contest 452 seats.
More than 600 polling stations are due to open between 7.30am and 10.30pm on Sunday.


Early surge in voting 

People who have not voted in district council elections before are turning up at ballot boxes.
Winnie Leung, 45, pictured below, is voting for the first time in any Hong Kong election. She joins her two daughters, aged 18 and 20, to mark her first ballot paper in Lek Yuen Community Hall, Sha Tin.

“I am apolitical and used to feel Hong Kong is all peaceful, so my vote is not needed,” says Leung, who works as a chef. 
“After months of struggle, I feel I must come out to vote.”
Leung says she is angry at police’s use of force against protesters. She says her youngest daughter, 8, suffered rashes on her arms and legs after police fired tear gas in her neighbourhood last month.
“The government should establish an inquiry to investigate the police, otherwise it would become a daily routine,” she says.
At Yaumati Kaifong Association School, a polling station that was substituted Hong Kong Community College in Hung Hom due to security reasons, Mr Chan, 34, says it is the first time he is voting despite being registered for a decade.
“I have not been interested in politics but I am unhappy with how the government deals with protesters,” he says.
“I disagree with what politicians from the pro-government camp say, and therefore voted for a pro-democracy candidate.”


Woman, 45, among first-time voters


By 10.30am, more than 720,000 people, or 17.43 per cent of the registered total, had cast their vote.
That turnout rate is more than double the rate for the first three hours of polling in 2015, when only 212,000 people, or 6.79 per cent, had voted.


Turnout still up on 2015


Hundreds of voters are queuing outside the Hoi Pun polling station in Tsuen Wan, in the city’s northwest. The queue stretches a few hundred metres, around Shak Chung Shan Memorial Catholic Primary School, extending into the Riviera Gardens housing complex.



The scene in Tsuen Wan

First-time voter Miss Chen moved to Hong Kong from mainland China with her family in 2002. The 30-year-old, who works in the art industry, is queuing to vote in the Belcher constituency of Central and Western district at noon.
“The city’s legal system has been under threat after the Occupy movement, as we’ve seen Legislative Council candidates disqualified one after another,” she says. “As long as Hong Kong people still have faith in the election, I would like to make my contribution, which is to use my vote to kick the pro-establishment camp out of the district council.”


Pro-democracy voter waits to cast her ballot

By 11.30am, more than 1 million people, or 24.37 per cent of the registered total, had cast their vote, official figures show.
The turnout rate is more than twice where it was in the first four hours of polling in 2015, when only 340,000 people, or 10.89 per cent, had voted.


More than a million have voted

Mr Law, 75, lives along Nathan Road, the main traffic artery in Kowloon, which has been heavily affected by the protests over the past six months.
He refuses to say who he supports in his constituency of East Tsim Sha Tsui and King’s Park in Yau Tsim Mong district, but says he will not vote for a pro-protester candidate.
“I am very scared of these young people who are creating trouble every day right below my house,” he says. “It has got really noisy and it makes me afraid to go out. They have not experienced poverty and a troubled society so they do not understand how important it is for Hong Kong to continue to prosper.”


Unrest ‘has got really noisy and it makes me afraid to go out’

About 500 people are in line under the simmering sun at the Yuen Long Pat Heung South voting station, where Eddie Chu Hoi-dick, 42, is running against retired principal Lai Wing-tim, 62.

Chu says the key to victory is a large turnout. He says that in the last district council election, when he lost, the turnout at Pat Heung South, a rural area, was about 50 per cent.
Analysts have said that new young voters are likely to vote for pro-democracy candidates. Asked about his chances of winning, Lai says: “It’s up to the voters to decide, not me. I am doing all I can.”

Several police officers are at the polling station.
Another candidate is Jo Chui Cheuk-yin, who lists herself in election materials as part of Chu’s team. It is unclear why she is on the ballot, though it is possible she signed up as a backup in case Chu was disqualified, a recent tactic of pro-democracy groups.
Incumbent Pat Heung South councillor Lai Wai-hung is not seeking re-election.


The scene in Yuen Long

Anson Chan Fang On-sang, the former chief secretary, arrived at Marymount Secondary School around 11.50am to cast her vote.
Noting the high early turnout, she tells reporters: “As we know, the pro-establishment camp has immense resources in terms of drawing turnout. So even if it’s dinner time, it’s not too late to vote.”


Chan says the election is a good opportunity to convey a clear message to the city government that political reform is necessary.
“In this movement, one of the demands is genuine universal suffrage; to have one person, one vote,” she said.


Anson Chan speaks

KY Wan, a nurse, says she feels relieved after voting for pro-democracy candidate Michael Wong Siu-nam at a polling station in Yau Tong West, Kwun Tong district.
The 44-year-old booked her flight back from a holiday in Australia for Saturday, just to make sure she would be able to take part in the elections.
“I had never planned so intentionally to cast a vote,” she says. “There’s a need for a fair way for citizens to express their feelings towards the government now. To me, this is a referendum.”
Wong, a 22-year-old whose campaign slogans include the “five demands” of the ongoing anti-government protests, is a rare competitor to incumbent Lui Tung-hai, 52, who was elected unopposed in two out of the four elections since he became district councillor in 2003.
Even though Wong has little experience, Wan supports him because she was disappointed by Lui’s failure to solve even trivial livelihood issues in the neighbourhood, including shrinking parking space and roadside rubbish dumped by restaurants.


‘To me, this is a referendum’

Back in Pat Heung South constituency, Yuen Long district, voter Ivan Chu says he has waited about an hour to cast his vote.
“Some old people keep coming here with their friends to tell the staff that they did not have to get in line when they voted this morning, and thus their elderly friends should also be allowed to skip the queue,” the 38-year-old financial professional says.

Another voter, 20-year-old Yeung, says he supports Eddie Chu Hoi-dick and hopes Chu can help bargain with bus companies for more buses from Yuen Long, in the city’s far northwest, to other districts. Chu is up against retired school principal Lai Wing-tim and Jo Chui Cheuk-yin.
Asked about the social unrest that has rocked Hong Kong since June, he says Hongkongers have been taking to the streets because they have no choice but to make their voices heard this way.


More from Yuen Long

First-time voter Jacques, 50, who only gives his first name, casts his ballot at German Swiss International School Peak campus in Central and Western district, in support of the pro-establishment camp.
This is the first district council election since the French entrepreneur became a permanent resident of Hong Kong.
“I hate violence. This movement is not about democracy, it’s about separation from China,” he said. “I think it’s dishonest to say you want democracy and then beat people up. Not enough people are denouncing violence.”
Separation from China is not listed among the protesters’ five demands.


‘Not enough people are denouncing violence’

About 500 voters queue at Olympic voting station where James To Kun-sun, also a long-serving pro-democracy legislator, is running against independent Keith Lee Ka-hin.
May Ho, 61, queued for an hour and cast her vote for Lee, calling him a candidate who stands against violence.

“My mother, 91, is also coming out to vote after 20 years of silence. We had been through difficult times in the past, like the cultural revolution, and had seen enough violence,” she says. “Society needs to return to peace.”
She believes the high turnout is due to voters from both sides coming out.
“Although things might not change much in the end, at least I did something,” she adds.


‘Society needs to return to peace’

Electoral Affairs Commission chairman Barnabas Fung Wah says that, by 9am, a total of 744 election-related complaints had been received.
Among them, 387 concern election advertisement, while others involve election arrangement, media reports or other issues.


News on election complaints

In Central and Western district’s Sai Ying Pun constituency, home to Beijing’s liaison office in the city, independent democrat Napo Wong Wen-chi says he is in an uphill battle challenging Lau Ting-ching, of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB).
“Our campaign team this morning saw at least two tour coaches carrying dozens of people who mainly speak Mandarin,” Wong says, suggesting some voters do not regularly live in the district.
“We also found the three hotels in this constituency are full for these two nights. Is it weird that suddenly many have travelled to the city and stayed in this district at this moment?” adds Wong, a former assistant to disqualified legislator Lau Siu-Lai who says he is determined to reclaim the district, where he has lived for more than 20 years.
At noon, there were no suspicious coaches to be seen. But one vehicle with a mainland licence plate was picking up some Mandarin speakers, who said they were on a tour.

But a few elderly people were being escorted to polling stations. Previous elections have brought complaints of pro-establishment groups organising transport to polling stations for older voters, in order to secure their votes for pro-Beijing parties.
An 86-year-old, surnamed Lau, was helped along by someone carrying a leaflet promoting the DAB candidate.
“They told me to vote for No 2,” he said, adding that he lives in an elderly home nearby. He murmured that he came to Hong Kong in the 1930s, but appeared unaware of the candidates and the election.
The man who escorted him left after Lau finished casting his vote. Lau slowly walked back to the elderly home.


‘They told me to vote for No 2’

By 12.30pm, about 1.3 million people, or 30.98 per cent of the registered total, had cast their vote. The turnout rate was more than double than in the first five hours of polling in 2015, when only 452,000 people, or 14.48 per cent, voted.
Tai Po, Kowloon City and Sha Tin are the districts with the highest turnout rates, all with a third of registered voters having voted.
Turnout rates in Islands, Yuen Long and Wong Tai Sin districts are the lowest, at 28 per cent.


More than 30 per cent have voted

The long queue in Lek Yuen, Sha Tin, where people wait for more than an hour to cast their vote
  Video: SCMP/Alvin Lum pic.twitter.com/M1dzFGFEBi
  — SCMP Hong Kong (@SCMPHongKong) 24 November 2019


Join the queue

In Tsim Sha Tsui West constituency, Yau Tsim Mong district, many Indian residents are casting their votes.
One of them, Sunil, 54, describes the recent protests in the area as “out of control”. But he will not blame the protesters.
“It was due to the government’s failures to address citizens’ problems, and many of the legislators are just rubber stamps, agreeing with everything the government suggested,” he says, adding that he voted for a pro-democracy candidate.

Rag, 39, believes only allowing civil participation and open expressions of opinions can change the situation.
“China should give more freedom to this city. Wherever [there is] something they want to put forward in the city, they should consult local opinion,” he says.


‘China should give more freedom to this city’

Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit, convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front, said this morning that the government had failed to listen to the voices of those taking part in mass protests and must now respect their demands in this election.
He is running in the Lek Yuen constituency in Sha Tin, against pro-establishment councillor Wong Yue-hon.
Residents waited for at least an hour this morning to cast their vote amid record numbers arriving early at the ballot box.

The front has organised massive rallies since June, including one in the summer said to have been attended by 2 million.
Sham, who was viciously attacked in the street last month, said he was pleased with the very high turnout rate.
“For the past few months, some people may not be able to voice their stance in protests and this is a chance for them to speak out,” Sham said.
“The government should have already listened to the people when millions of people took to the street in June and July. The people of Hong Kong have been very tolerant of government already.”
He added: “The government should definitely feel the pressure if the turnout is higher than that in Legco general elections. Hongkongers will not just let go of our pursuit easily.”


Organiser of biggest protests: government should ‘feel the pressure’

At the polling station in Yuen Lung constituency, Yuen Long district, a few hundred are in line to vote.
Incumbent Wong Wai-shun, vice-chairman of the council, puts his chances of winning at about 50 per cent.
“A lot of people have opinions about the social movement in the past few months, but I believe people of different political colours will be coming out to vote,” says Wong, who is up against Tommy Cheung Sau-yin and Eric Chow Lok-ning.
Some local residents have criticised him for not taking a stronger stance on the incident of July 21, when about 100 people indiscriminately attacked protesters and other travellers at Yuen Long MTR station with sticks and iron rods. Police only arrived after the attackers fled.
Wong stresses that he supports an independent judge-led inquiry into the incident, if the ongoing probe by the Independent Police Complaints Council fails to get to the bottom of it.
But voter Simon Ng, 34, is angry about Wong’s inaction. “Everyone in Yuen Long knows that the district council is full of councillors who do not take our voices to the council,” he says.


July 21 attack looms large in Yuen Long

Senior Hong Kong government officials past and present have been out in force to vote this morning.

They include Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Patrick Nip Tak-kuen, former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa, former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang and Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, a former minister who is now a legislator and executive councillor.



Government officials cast their votes

Lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king, who leads the largest pro-establishment party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, made an urgent appeal at about noon for supporters to turn out and vote for her, a pro-establishment source confirms.
She is trying to seek re-election in To Kwa Wan North consistency, against “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung.
Lee’s re-election is regarded as crucial because it allows her to seek re-election in the Legislative Council, through the “super seat” constituency.
Her competitor, ex-lawmaker Leung, believes Lee’s campaign material shows she how worried she is about losing.
“She has still got many iron votes in the district which would be hard to challenge,” he says. “But some voters who voted for her previously said they will vote for me too.”


Pro-establishment party leader pleads for votes

Already, more people have turned out to vote than the total who did so in 2015.
According to official figures at 1.30pm, 1.52 million voters had cast their ballots by that time, 36.89 per cent of those registered.
The total turnout in 2015 was 1.47 million people.
Polls close at 10.30pm.


More votes by 1.30pm than in all of 2015

While most voters today do not have to travel far to cast their vote, others have made quite the journey to be in the city, including some based in Singapore.
Warren Chau, who has worked in the Lion City’s IT industry for six years, came back for five to six days to vote, having bought his ticket three months ago.
“In Singapore, we cannot discuss politics openly, so my friends and I have sort of suppressed our feelings over the situation in Hong Kong for the past few months,” he says. “We have to come back to fulfil our civic duties.”
He says he is particularly frustrated by the lack of response from the government over protesters’ key demands. “The election is a legitimate way to express our voice and tell the government what we want and who we support,” he says.
Sonia Lau, 32, who has lived in Singapore and the US and has never voted before, says she felt compelled to vote after watching the unrest unfold.
“I feel quite disappointed and shocked to watch the situation in Hong Kong since June. Why has the police treated the people this way? Why must we fire so much tear gas?” says Lau, who works at a Singaporean university.
“I used to feel my vote was useless, and one vote couldn’t make much of a difference. Now I feel we need to do whatever we can to make a change. At least, I have do my part.”
And Ms Li, who has lived in Singapore for two years, says she felt sad and angry while the situation in Hong Kong deteriorated, and decided to come back for the first time to vote.
“It is just frustrating to watch the government’s handling of the extradition bill. I feel the government has basically disrespected the demands of the people, resulting in multiple injuries at protests,” she says. “So I do want to be back to show my dissatisfaction.”


Coming a long way to vote

First-time candidate Yau Man-shan canvasses near Causeway Bay polling station, Wan Chai district, not far from her opponent Yolanda Ng, the incumbent since 2008. Both are running as independents.
Yau says she is happy polling data shows a record-breaking turnout. But she is uncertain how things will go in her district.
“Yolanda has been the councillor for the past three terms, so she’s very experienced. We’ll have to see the final results,” she says.

The former policewoman resigned after more than 10 years on the force, citing disappointment with its culture and conduct since the protests began.
That background has been both an advantage and a drawback, she says.
“Some residents thought resigning from the force was the right decision, and supported me as a result. While others still distrust me because I was on the force,” she says.
Ng declined to speak to the Post.


Canvassing in Causeway Bay

In Sai Wan constituency, Central and Western district, pro-Beijing legislator Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan has made an urgent appeal for his supporters to get out and vote.
Cheung, also an executive councillor, says the unusually high turnout has added uncertainty to the polls.
“The traditional wisdom suggests a high turnout means the pro-democracy camp has the upper hand. But what about a super-high turnout?” he says.
Part of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, he is up against pan-democrat Pang Ka-ho and Shirley Wong Mi-hing.


Another urgent appeal from a pro-Beijing candidate

Democractic Party’s lawmaker Roy Kwong Chun-yu, seeking re-election in the Yuen Long Pek Long constituency, is now in Tin Shui Wai to support fellow party member Ng Yuk-ying in her run for a seat for Kingswood South.
Kwong says he does not think he has secured a solid win but feels the need to support other pro-democracy candidates.
On the large turnout today, he says: “It’s unprecedented. It shows that the people have a message for Hong Kong, regarding the months of social movement.”
He says he has never seen such long lines at polling stations in previous elections.
Ng, a registered social worker, hopes to bring more social support to the elderly living on their own if she is elected.
Kwong is running against Tam Wai-lam from the pro-government Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. Ng is running against incumbent Daniel Cham Ka-hung, who calls himself an independent candidate.


Roy Kwong: the people have a message for Hong Kong

By 2.30pm, more than 1.7 million people, or 42.26 per cent of the registered total, have cast their votes. The turnout rate is approaching the 2015 aggregate of 47.01 per cent when voting closed at 10.30pm.
It is also two times higher than in the same time frame in 2015, when only 654,657 people, or 20.97 per cent, voted in the first seven hours.


More than 1.7 million have voted

Imran Sarwar, 35, a To Kwa Wan resident of more than 20 years, explains why he has shifted from voting for Starry Lee
  Video: SCMP/Lilian Cheng pic.twitter.com/bEJCsEbIZE
  — SCMP Hong Kong (@SCMPHongKong) November 24, 2019


To Kwa Wan resident explains his shift in voting choice

Andrew Chiu Ka-yin canvasses for support in Taikoo Shing West, Eastern district, where he is up against  Kacee Ting Wong.

Earlier this month, surgeons had to reconstruct his ear after part of it was bitten off by a knife-wielding man at a protest gathering outside a shopping centre.


Talking wounded

Peter Chan, a 28-year-old epidemiologist living in Britain, flew back to Hong Kong to vote in Wong Tai Sin.
Chan says he is inspired by the ongoing protest movement that “revealed some longstanding structural problems of the current government and society”, and wants to do his part for the city by voting. 
“Although this election won’t solve much of these problems ... I believe it will be a good start to improve the situation bit by bit, and build more momentum for future social movements,” Chan adds.


Flying back from Britain to vote

By 3.30pm, nearly 60 per cent of voters in the Discovery Park constituency in Tsuen Wan have cast their ballots. The long snaking lines outside the Tsuen King Circuit Sports Centre polling station had disappeared by noon.
Outside, a group of elderly people are dancing to traditional Chinese music. Incumbent Michael Tien Puk Sun, a pro-Beijing lawmaker and delegate to the national legislature, is being challenged by independent candidate Lau Cheuk-yu. After canvassing for votes at the station in the morning, Tien headed to Tin Shui Wai in the afternoon to lend support to other pro-Beijing candidates.



Nearly 60pc of voters have cast ballots in Discovery Park 

The polling station at Pok Fu Lam constituency in Southern district has been moved 5km away to a sports centre in Aberdeen, from the original one located in Sassoon Road near the University of Hong Kong, following security concerns from earlier clashes in HKU. 
A teen surnamed Au came with his mother, saying it took them almost an hour to reach the new station, including waiting time for a bus. 
“I don’t understand what grounds they have to move the station. This is so far away, crossing three constituencies from Pok Fu Lam,” Au says. “The pick is unreasonable.”
 As of 2.30pm, 678 voters, or 44 per cent of registered voters, have cast their ballots at the station. 


New location of polling station raises ire

In the Lok Tsui constituency in Tuen Mun, pro-Beijing lawmaker and incumbent district councillor Junius Ho Kwan-yiu issues an urgent appeal.
He tells voters: “In the last four years, we have been working in this community together ... Please support candidate No 1 Ho Kwan-yiu!”
As Ho was previously attacked by a knife-wielding man while campaigning, he has hired a few bodyguards. 


Junius Ho surrounded by bodyguards

“I continued to vote for Andy Chui again this time. He really is sincere in helping the issues of this community,” Chan, 28, a civil servant says after casting his vote at the Yue Wan Community Hall polling station in Chai Wan.
“I am hopeful he will win again because I think the momentum of the pan-democrats is bigger this time. The recent events mean even some that may side with the government have changed their views.”
Andy Chui Chi-kin is a pan-democratic district councillor who participated in the 79-day Occupy movement in 2014 and formed a group called “Umbrella Fathers and Mothers”.


Voters confident of pan-dem’s chances 

Henry Tang Ying-yen, a standing committee member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), has voted at a polling station in Kowloon Tong. 
Tang says: “I am happy to see that many more voters are coming out to vote. This shows Hong Kong people’s view on democracy, and that they are responsible citizens. 
“The background of this election is special, as it is taking place amid a months-long social movement. I think many Hong Kong people would like violence and chaos to stop, and for public order to be restored so we can start to reconcile and rebuild.”


‘Reconcile and rebuild,’ Henry Tang says

In Tai Po, former creative director Dalu Lin Kok-cheung, who is trying to unseat veteran district councillor Wong Pik-kiu of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, says he feels surprised about the high voter turnout, and is confident about his chances. 
“Previously I was worried voters may not come out due to the latest situation ... I now feel at ease and have less pressure,” the Tai Po resident says.
Although Lin strongly supports the key demands of anti-government protesters, including to restructure the police force, his campaign focuses on dialogue with the increasingly ageing community. 

His rival Wong, who is now the chairwoman of the Tai Po District Council, says this is the toughest election she has ever fought in her 20-year political career. 
“It’s unprecedentedly tense and tough, given the high turnout from the first hour,” Wong told the Post. At the peak in the morning, there were about 200 people queuing. 
She says supporters across the political spectrum have been keen to come out and vote because of the ongoing unrest. 
“Some pro-establishment supporters are very angry, because they cannot go to work as roads are obstructed by protesters. But at the same time, some young people who have never showed up in the neighbourhood also came back to vote.”



Toughest ever election for Tai Po incumbent

By 3.30pm, more than 1.95 million people, or 47.26 per cent of the registered total, have cast their votes. The turnout rate has already exceeded the 2015 end aggregate of 47.01 per cent.
It is also two times higher than in the same time frame in 2015, when only 754,700 people, or 24.18 per cent, had voted. 


Turnout rate surpasses 2015’s end aggregate

At the Tin Shui Wai Tin Hang constituency, a few hundred people are still in line to vote. As of 3.30pm, 5,275 people, or 37.8 per cent of the constituency’s registered voters, have voted. Tin Hang has the highest percentage of young voters.
Among them is first-time voter and hair stylist Max Chan, 28. He says he has been a registered voter for some years already but has never showed up at polling stations until today.
He voted for Wong Pak-yu, who supports a probe into alleged police inaction over the July 21 attacks at Yuen Long MTR station, when a white-clad mob with sticks and iron rods attacked commuters and protesters indiscriminately.  
Chan says he chose not to support incumbent Luk Chung-hung from the pro-government Federation of Trade Unions because he has hardly done anything for the neighbourhood.
The other candidates are Chan Ka-chun and Stanley Chan Chi-shing.   


First-time voter supports candidate pushing for probe on police

In a pink vest and all smiles, independent candidate Cheung Kwok-wai is greeting voters near the Tai Po Community Centre polling station, especially the elderly. He is running against Lam Ming-yat, the candidate from Democratic Coalition.
Cheung quit the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong in 2016.
“This election is a challenge for me, as voters are behaving more differently than before. They came so early and queued up. If my camp wins more seats, that would mean the silent majority has come up. I am encouraged by the turnout and I hope the high turnout would be in our favor. If we lose, I will still respect the process, as democracy is one people one vote,” he tells the Post.
“The young protesters have lost their identity. I was educated in Britain and Canada but I regard myself as Chinese. If they have no identity, how can we embrace ‘one country, two systems’?” Cheung says.
“It is absolutely necessary for the protests to end. Look at the broken street lights and the damaged MTR stations. It is not time for an independent inquiry into police violence yet, it needs public consensus and I don’t see it is a key message from the public,” he adds.



‘Young protesters have lost their identity’

Andrew Chiu Ka-yin, the Democratic Party candidate who had part of his ear bitten off in an attack on November 3, greets constituents in Tai Koo Shing West, Eastern district. 
He is running against Kacee Ting Wong from the pro-establishment Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong.
Chiu appears weak and holds an umbrella as a walking stick, with a large bandage covering his left ear. The candidate says while he is grateful to residents who came to his support, he is also disappointed to hear rumours about the incident.
“There have been people, some I know personally, who said I faked the attack to get votes. Or the CIA paid me for this. It’s inhumane to spread rumours. Who would want to hurt themselves like this?” Chiu tells reporters. 
“This just shows how polarised society has become. The election results are not certain and everyone must not waste their vote,” he adds.



‘’I did not stage attack’’: candidate who had ear bitten off in assault

Fung Ka-keung, a human resources director from an international NGO and who is based in Seoul, says he forked out HK$2,600 to buy a two-way ticket to Hong Kong to vote.  
“When I bought my air ticket on Monday, I was not so confident that the election would be held on Sunday as scheduled, but I decided to go ahead with my plan,” says Fung, who cast his ballot in Kennedy & Mount Davis constituency in Central and Western district.
“It’s the first time I have ever flown back to Hong Kong to vote,” he says.
Fung, who refuses to reveal who he voted for, adds that his choice was heavily influenced by the candidate’s stance on the government’s handling of the protests. 



‘First time I have ever flown back to vote’

Ken Au, 19, says the death of university student Chow Tsz-lok near a confrontation site between police and protesters has encouraged him to cast his vote in the elections.
The Polytechnic University student spends time every week to visit and read pro-democracy posters on a “Lennon Wall” set up near the car park where Chow fell.
“I’ve been feeling quite helpless and pessimistic about the [anti-government] movement lately, so I came here to find some encouragement and energy,” says Au, who works in a weekend job near the car park in Tseung Kwan O.
The first-time voter says he feels a sense of responsibility to continue to pursue democracy and other demands of the movement on behalf of Chow. 
“I want to vote the pro-establishment camp out of the system,” he says.



‘I want to vote the pro-establishment camp out of the system’

In Lai To constituency in Tsuen Wan, pro-establishment candidate Wong Wai-kit, one of those dubbed “Kings of Votes” in the last poll by bagging more than 3,600 votes, made an emergency appeal to supporters a few days ago.
The veteran, who is seeking his fourth term, says the ongoing unrest has deeply divided society and may also have discouraged some to vote out of security concerns.
His young rival, Ronald Tse Man-chak, believes he stands a chance as a significant portion of voters backed pro-democracy hopefuls in the previous Legislative Council elections, and they may do the same this time. “I hope those who thought it was impossible to unseat Wong can cast their ballots,” Tse says.
As of 3.30pm, almost 55 per cent of voters have showed up in Lai To. 



‘King of votes’ makes emergency appeal

In an apparent attempt to appeal to Hong Kong protesters, candidate Wong Pak-yu in the Tin Shui Wai Tin Hang constituency has a poster that says: “Five demands, not one less.”
He says he is touched by the large turnout this year, adding that in the last elections he secured about 1,300 votes and lost to Federation of Trade Unions’ Michael Luk Chung-hung, who received about 2,700 votes.
Wong says Tin Hang has the highest percentage of young voters and this will be beneficial to him. If he is elected, the first thing he will do is to ask police to apologise for their perceived inaction in the July 21 Yuen Long attacks.
FTU’s Luk declines to speak to reporters, saying he would rather spend more time talking to voters for now.



Courting protesters

By 4.30pm, more than 2.15 million people, or 52.14 per cent of the registered total, had cast their votes. The turnout is approaching the end aggregate turnout of the Legislative Council elections in September 2016, when 2.2 million people, or 58.3 per cent, voted.
The current figure is also twice the turnout in the same time frame in the district council polls in 2015, when only 854,000 people, or 27.37 per cent, voted.


Voting turnout surpasses 2 million

In Sha Tin, Ng, 63, says when she arrived at the polling station at Kwong Yuen Community Hall to vote at 9am, an election officer said her name was already crossed out from the register, meaning someone had used her identity to vote. 
“The polling officer asked if I wanted to vote for the second time, but I told him how is that possible? He also asked if I lost my ID card recently. I said I didn’t, I just got my new ID card in October because the government told me to renew it,” she says.
“The officer said he can let me vote again, but my ballot would be invalid. So I said ‘what’s the point?’”
Ng did not vote in the end, but filed a complaint with the polling officer as she was angry about the incident. 
“This is my name! Now someone is using my ID card, so what can I do? I don’t know if they will use my ID card again in future,” she adds.
Ng says the officer later explained that it could also be possible that another polling staff had wrongly crossed out her name when someone else voted.


Questions raised over voter ID and staff blunder

Angus Wong Yui-hei, a pan-democrat running in Aberdeen, canvasses for votes in the company of outspoken artists Denise Ho Wan-see and Ip Tak-han, as well as Demosisto’s Agnes Chow Ting and Joshua Wong Chi-fung.
Angus Wong is up against incumbent Pauline Yam and Lee Kin-shing. Joshua Wong, the only candidate to be disqualified from the race, makes an urgent plea for his comrade, saying the turnout is not as high as in other areas.
“It is a remarkable day. The totalitarian government wants to crack down on our protests but we will show our discontent with our votes,” he says. “It is an indication of how Hongkongers view the suppression by Beijing.”  
Chow adds that tear gas was fired amid clashes in the constituency, and she believes residents had experienced “police brutality”.
“We have to resist tyranny and unreasonable governance by all means,” she says.



‘Resist tyranny and unreasonable governance’

On Twitter, a voter says she saw freebies being distributed at one of the polling stations in Mei Foo, Sham Shui Po district. When the Post visits the location, a shop owner says he saw a medium-sized van pull up in front of his store after 10am, and unload 50 to 60 items that looked like goodie bags.
A group of middle-aged and elderly people then quickly took the bags and left, he says. A resident and voter who witnessed the scene confirms the account.
“There were some people handing out the bags. They claimed they organised the action themselves and had nothing to do with the elections,” she says. “They later said they were from an NGO helping mental health patients, but refused to go into details,” she adds.  “It was all really strange.”  



‘Freebies’ in Mei Foo

A student and a citizen who have remained at Polytechnic University in Hung Hom accuse police of depriving them of their right to vote, saying that they are “angry and frustrated”.
Speaking with their masks on, they estimate that about 30 people are still in the wrecked campus, which was the site of violent clashes last week, later developing into a stand-off that is still dragging on. More than 1,000 people have been arrested since police surrounded the campus, forcing those inside to come out.
The pair say the few remaining have gone into hiding and refuse to communicate with others. Police have been urging those over 18 years of age to come out peacefully and face arrest, while minors under 18 will have their details taken, with officers reserving the right to take action later.
According to the duo, those still on campus are facing immense stress, suffering from paranoia and can no longer “utter a complete sentence”. Some have lost their appetite to eat, requiring social workers to approach them with meals.
They urge police to stop besieging the campus and for university management to get in touch with the individuals and help them.


Plea to help those still in PolyU

In To Kwa Wan North, lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king, who leads the largest pro-establishment party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, meets the press at 5pm, calling on supporters to respond to her urgent appeal for votes.
“We know this time there are a lot of people showing up to vote. We urge our supporters to come out, if you want to restore peace and order in our society,” says Lee, with opponent “Long hair” Leung Kwok-hung shouting at her in the background.
Lee adds that she has never seen such a high turnout rate in a district council election, and therefore results would be hard to predict.
She tries to leave the park after answering two questions but is again blocked by Leung, who protests and chants slogans against her. Leung demands an apology from her, saying she was the one who supported the now-withdrawn extradition bill which sparked the political crisis in June. 



Starry Lee heckled by opponent

“The high voter turnout Hong Kong people are concerned about is the issue at hand,” says Liberal party incumbent Lee Chun-keung in Tsui Tak constituency, Eastern district.
“The residents have given me confidence, I hope they approve of my work. It takes two to clap. I hope both police and protesters are treated more fairly.”
Peter Ng Cheuk-ip, 23, a first-time candidate from the Democratic Coalition for DC Election, says Wan Tsui constituency, also in Eastern, has long been a pro-establishment stronghold, so he was facing challenges to compete in the race. But he was still hopeful because after five months of unrest, the high voter turnout shows that Hongkongers still believe that the system can make a change.
“[But] until the votes are counted, you won’t know what happens in the end. Anything is possible.”


‘Anything is possible’

Electoral Affairs Commission chairman Barnabas Fung Wah says as of 3pm, the commission has received 3,638 complaints, mainly on election arrangements and advertisements.


3,638 election complaints received

Lydia Hung, 50, who works in banking, says she feels encouraged by the high turnout at this year’s elections. “I’m so happy that many more people chose to come out to vote, unlike last time when people just cast a blank vote, giving all the benefits to the pro-establishment camp,” says Hung, a resident of Tseung Kwan O.
Hung and her husband were among dozens of people who stopped at a “Lennon Wall” plastered with anti-government posters and surrounded with candles and flowers in memory of Chow Tsz-lok, a university student who died after falling from a car park near conflicts between protesters and police. Hung says Chow’s death is one of a series of cases that reflect police’s excessive use of force during the protests.



Encouraged by high turnout

At Tuen Mun Lok Tsui constituency, controversial politician and incumbent district councillor Junius Ho Kwan-yiu is running against the Democratic Party’s Lo Chun-yu and Chang Ching-man, who wrote the popular protest slogan “five demands, not one less” on her election posters.
Ho is not seen in the area now, but his supporters are holding up posters that express support for police. One poster reads: “[Ho] dares to speak and dares to do.” Other posters call for a ban on the popular LIHKG internet discussion forum, which protesters have been using. Chang’s election slogan is to kick away both Ho and pan-democratic politicians from the constituency. Lo calls for an independent, judge-led inquiry into alleged police brutality in handling protesters.



Ho’s supporters stand by police

A team of independent observers, which includes Lord Alton from Britain, have been visiting various polling stations to monitor the elections. They were invited by local pro-democracy groups.
Among them are Lithuanian lawmaker Mantas Adomenas (third from right) and Japanese scholar Kenji Isezaki, who came to Taikoo Shing West in the afternoon and spoke to Andrew Chiu Ka-yin, a Democratic Party candidate. He is running against Kacee Ting Wong from the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong.



Foreign observers visit polls

As of 5.30pm, more than 2.33 million people have voted – making the turnout in this year’s district council elections the biggest in Hong Kong’s history, for any kind of election. The record turnout is a sign that Hongkongers are being more active in stating their political stance amid the ongoing social turmoil.
The previous record was 2.2 million people voting in the 2016 Legislative Council elections.
So far, 56 per cent of all registered voters have cast their ballots.


Voter turnout biggest in Hong Kong’s history

The Tai Po Community Centre polling station is known as one to which elderly voters are shuttled by the pro-establishment camp.
At about 4.40pm, an elderly man who has hearing difficulties is escorted by three young women to the polling station, and comes out alone after about 15 minutes.
An hour later, a woman, who looks to be in her 90s, is pushed on a wheelchair by a Filipino worker and a young woman to the polling station. They come out in just two minutes.
The young woman resolutely prevents reporters from talking to the elderly voter.



Live | As it happened: record number of Hongkongers at district council elections