Can Hong Kong’s John Lee drum up a battle of the ballots for the district council election on December 10?

Officials who said earlier that voter turnout did not matter appear to have had a change of heart

Drive to move indifferent voters, as overhaul of polls has slashed number of directly elected seats

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Can Hong Kong officials get voter turnout for the district council poll on track? Dickson Lee

Published: 6:37pm, 2 Dec 2023Updated: 11:53pm, 2 Dec 2023

The banners, videos and fun fairs popping up across Hong Kong in recent weeks all send the same message, urging voters to take part in the December 10 district council election.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has led his ministers and other officials on an unprecedented drive to boost the turnout rate, handing out leaflets and making sure to mention the importance of voting in every speech.

This is quite a change from earlier, when ministers kept saying the turnout rate did not matter, and a low turnout would not diminish the election results.

The election is the first since the municipal-level polls were overhauled in line with Beijing’s principle that only “patriots” should be in charge, and there have been reports of voter indifference.

A check by the Post found 14 officials with Facebook accounts who have actively posted about the election, with more than 60 posts so far, telling Hongkongers about voting procedures and the significance of taking part.

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