The Hong Kong Legislative Council election was held on the 7th. According to data from the Hong Kong Electoral Affairs Office, about 1.3 million out of roughly 4.1 million registered voters cast their ballots, with a voter turnout rate of 31.9%, only slightly higher than 2021's 30.2%.
Citing comprehensive reports from Hong Kong media, Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, Barnabas Fung Wah (Luk Kai-hong), met with the media in the early hours of the 8th and stated that the current Legislative Council election was held under a heavy social atmosphere, so it was not easy to have more than 1.3 million people come out to vote.
The results of the 8th Legislative Council’s general election were announced in the early hours of the 8th. Luk Kai-hong, the Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, met with the media together with commission members Stone Lee and Man Bun-tak around 1 am to present the voting situation of the election.
Luk Kai-hong stated that the voter turnout rate for geographical direct elections was about 31.9%, with around 1.31 million voters participating. He added that the responsibility of the Electoral Affairs Commission is to conduct fair, just, and honest elections; therefore, it would not interpret or analyze the turnout rate.
However, during his remarks, Luk choked up momentarily and said that this election was completed in a heavy social atmosphere, making the turnout of over 1.3 million citizens no easy feat. He said this reflected that the public held some expectations for the new batch of legislators and hoped they would bring positive energy to Hong Kong.
Luk pointed out that this election is of great significance and far-reaching impact. It is also the first step in Hong Kong's return to normalcy. The elected legislators bear the expectations of the citizens and must work hand in hand with the SAR government to build a better home.
John Lee: The Smooth Completion of the Election Has Profound Significance
In the morning of the 8th, Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu issued a statement on behalf of the SAR government, congratulating all the successfully elected legislators and thanking the 161 candidates from different sectors, professions, and backgrounds, as well as all sectors of society, for their active participation.
John Lee stated that the 8th Legislative Council election has been successfully completed, and all 90 seats have had their results announced. At a time when Hong Kong society jointly faces challenges, the smooth and successful holding of the election carries profound significance. It reflects citizens’ support for the SAR's post-disaster reconstruction and the determination to advance reforms. It also shows support for electing capable and ambitious legislators to aid disaster victims and post-disaster recovery, promote institutional reform, and demonstrate the spirit of unity and mutual help among citizens.
The results of the Legislative Council election were completed in the early morning of the 8th, and all results were announced over seven hours after polling ended, with 90 seats revealed.
Of the 54 incumbent legislators seeking re-election, four were unsuccessful. The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) emerged as the biggest winner.
Fang Guoshan (Kwan Kwok-shan) of Path of Democracy, participating in her sixth election, won in Southeast New Territories with 58,828 votes, becoming the top vote-getter among directly elected candidates. In the functional constituencies, Olympic gold medalist Cheung Ka-long (Cheung Ming-wai), a first-time candidate, won in the tourism sector.