Hong Kong elections: long queues as voting kicks off in first polls since protest crisis erupted
- More than 4 million due to vote in Sunday’s district council elections, which have extra significance amid unrest
- Young people among those arriving early at polling stations following rumours voting could close if trouble breaks out
Long queues formed when Hongkongers headed to the polls early on Sunday to vote in the city’s first public election since mass protests broke out, with early turnout figures dwarfing those from four years ago.
More than 720,000 people had cast their vote within three hours of polling stations opening for the district council elections, some having waited more than an hour. In 2015, 212,000 had turned out within that time frame.
A record 4.1 million Hong Kong residents are registered to vote in the polls, in which 1,090 candidates will contest 452 seats.
In 18 districts across the city, they will directly elect councillors, who handle community-level affairs such as transport and public facilities.
But the elections are widely seen as a barometer of support for the anti-government protest movement and Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s leadership.
After voting at Raimondi College on Robinson Road, Lam said many Hongkongers hoped the calmness in the city over the last few days could continue after the polls.