Hong Kong, mainland Chinese authorities in talks to allow quarantine-free voting in Legco poll at cross-border checkpoints

Pact aimed at eliminating mandatory isolation period after travel to polling stations at Shenzhen Bay and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, both of which are inside city territory

Pro-Beijing lawmakers have previously pushed for voting to take place in mainland cities, something Carrie Lam says is not possible for now

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The border control point at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 1:39pm, 9 Nov 2021Updated: 3:56pm, 26 Nov 2021

Corrected [10:49am, 10 Nov, 2021]

[10:49am, 10 Nov, 2021]
An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to Chen Xiaofeng as lawyer Nick Chan Hiu-fung, who is also a local delegate to the national legislature.

Hong Kong and mainland Chinese authorities are discussing setting up polling stations at two checkpoints to allow residents across the border to vote in the coming Legislative Council election without the need to undergo quarantine.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor revealed the talks on Tuesday, two weeks after the electoral body said authorities had failed to strike a deal allowing voters to cross into the city, however briefly, without coming under Covid-19 travel restrictions.

The polling would take place at the immigration control points at Shenzhen Bay and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and mark the first time the city has allowed voting at checkpoints.

“What we hope for is a quarantine-free arrangement,” Lam said. “Otherwise, it’s very difficult to convince Hongkongers to come back only to cast their ballots if they are required to undergo a 14 or 21-day quarantine upon returning to the mainland.”

Chief Executive Carrie Lam meets the press at government headquarters on Tuesday. Photo: Nora Tam

Hong Kong has 4.5 million registered voters, constituting 60 per cent of the city’s population of 7.4 million. According to the most recent national census data released in May, about 370,000 Hong Kong residents aged 18 or above live on the mainland. The pro-establishment camp has long wanted to allow them to take part in city elections by setting up polling stations on the mainland, but the idea could never surmount the logistical and legal hurdles.