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Legislative Council election 2025
Opinion
SCMP Editorial
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Hong Kong civil servants should do their civic duty and vote in Legco election

Officials are making a big push to publicise the poll and can do more, but the private sector and individuals must also play their part

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People walk past banners publicising the December 7 Legislative Council election at the government offices in Tamar on October 30. Photo: Jelly Tse
SCMP Editorial
Halfway into the two-week nomination period for the Legislative Council elections, the Hong Kong government is doing its best to get out the vote. This includes staging an extensive publicity campaign and making an appeal to civil servants to support the ballot next month. In a letter to the 171,000-strong civil service on Tuesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu strongly urged all civil servants to cast their votes on December 7.

Citing the Civil Service Code, which requires government employees to support the local administration’s governance, he said voting was a “manifestation of civil servants upholding” the Basic Law and their allegiance to the city as pledged in their oaths. “As the backbone of the government, civil servants should set an example and cast votes in elections to fulfil their civic responsibility,” Lee said in the letter.

This is not the first time civil servants have been reminded to vote as part of their duty to support the administration. Lee stopped short of saying whether those who did not vote would be punished. When asked if the government was hoping the turnout rate in the geographical polls would surpass the 30.2 per cent in 2021 – the lowest since Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule – Lee stressed there was “no hard target”.
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The appeal must not be seen as civil servants being pressured to vote. There is also no question of their political neutrality being compromised, as they were not asked to vote for a particular party or candidate. As stipulated in the Civil Service Code, government employees have a duty to support the chief executive’s policies and his governance. They should also lead by example and demonstrate to the public that voting is a civic duty.

Speaking last week at the launch of the election process, Lee also called on the private sector to encourage their employees to vote. “I strongly urge all sectors of society, including various institutions, businesses, organisations and groups, to fulfil their social responsibility by encouraging employees to vote on polling day, and offering them support where feasible,” he said.
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As reported by the Post, some businesses and public bodies are heeding his call. For instance, Sino Group will grant its staff members half a day’s leave to encourage them to vote. Hopefully, more companies and institutions will do their part to facilitate the vote.

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