2021 Hong Kong legislative election

2021 Hong Kong legislative election
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All 90 seats to the Legislative Council
46 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered4,472,863 (GC)[1] Increase18.36%
Turnout1,350,680 (30.20%) Decrease28.08pp
  First party Second party Third party
  Starry Lee Stanley Ng Lo Wai-kwok
Leader Starry Lee Ng Chau-pei Lo Wai-kwok
Party DAB FTU BPA
Alliance Pro-Beijing Pro-Beijing Pro-Beijing
Leader's seat Kowloon Central HK Island East Engineering
Last election 12 seats, 16.68% 5 seats, 7.83% 7 seats, 2.29%
Seats won 19 8 7
Seat change Increase6 Increase4 Decrease1
Popular vote 680,563 192,235 Did not run in GCs
Percentage 51.43% 14.53% N/A
Swing Increase34.75pp Increase6.70pp N/A
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
  Regina Ip Felix Chung
Leader Regina Ip Felix Chung Wong Kwan-yu
Party NPP Liberal FEW
Alliance Pro-Beijing Pro-Beijing Pro-Beijing
Leader's seat HK Island West Textiles & Garment (lost seat) Did not stand
Last election 3 seats, 7.73% 4 seats, 0.99% Did not contest
Seats won 5 4 2
Seat change Increase3 Steady Increase2
Popular vote 150,188 Did not run in GCs Did not run in GCs
Percentage 11.35% N/A N/A
Swing Increase3.62pp N/A N/A
  Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party
  Michael Tien Christine Fong
Leader Lam Chun-sing Michael Tien Christine Fong
Party FLU Roundtable PP
Alliance Pro-Beijing Pro-Beijing Pro-Beijing
Leader's seat Election Committee NT North West Did not stand
Last election 1 seat New party Did not contest
Seats won 2 1 1
Seat change Increase1 Steady Increase1
Popular vote Did not run in GCs 40,009 38,214
Percentage N/A 3.02% 2.89%
Swing N/A N/A N/A
Party control before election

Pro-Beijing camp

 Party control after election

Pro-Beijing camp

The 2021 Hong Kong Legislative Council election was a general election held on 19 December 2021 for the 7th Legislative Council of Hong Kong.[2] Under the drastic Beijing-imposed electoral overhaul, the total number of seats was increased from 70 to 90 seats, with the directly elected geographical constituencies (GCs) reduced from 35 to 20 seats, the trade-based indirectly elected functional constituencies (FCs) staying at 30, and the additional 40 seats being elected by the 1,500-member Election Committee.[3][4][5] therefore still not allowing universal suffrage.

Originally scheduled on 6 September 2020, Chief Executive Carrie Lam unprecedentedly postponed the election citing the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] That abruptly halted the momentum of the pro-democrats who campaigned for a "35+" majority, building from the historic 2019 anti-government protests and the pro-democracy landslide in the November District Council election.[7] Subsequently, the government began to purge the opposition with the installation of the Hong Kong national security law. By mid 2021, almost all leading pro-democracy legislators and activists had either been arrested, imprisoned or forced to exile, with several major pro-democracy organisations, trade unions and media outlets disbanded under pressure.

Despite efforts by the government to boost voter turnout by offering free transport and establishing polling stations at the Chinese border, the election had the lowest turnout of any Legislative Council election in history.[8][9] The number of blank or invalid votes also set a record high.[10] These issues were blamed on a lack of interest in the election amongst pro-democracy Hongkongers.[11]

89 out of 90 elected members were the pro-Beijing establishment, with one sole moderate member in the mix represented by Third Side's Tik Chi-yuen.[12] The traditional flagship pro-Beijing party Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) emerged as the biggest winner with 19 seats, by securing a seat in each of the ten geographical constituencies.[13]

  1. ^ "Voter Registration Statistics". Hong Kong Government. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Legco election to be held on December 19". The Standard. 13 April 2021. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  3. ^ "China approves plan to veto Hong Kong election candidates". France 24. 11 March 2021. Archived from the original on 12 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Demanding Loyalty, China Moves to Overhaul Hong Kong Elections". The New York Times. 4 March 2021. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  5. ^ "China sharply reduces elected seats in Hong Kong legislature". Associated Press. 30 March 2021. Archived from the original on 30 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  6. ^ "LegCo General Election postponed for a year". Hong Kong Government. 31 July 2020. Archived from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Hong Kong Delays Election, Citing Coronavirus. The Opposition Isn't Buying It". New York Times. 31 July 2020. Archived from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  8. ^ Ho, Kelly (19 December 2021). "Hong Kong 'patriots' poll: Candidates blame 'insufficient' gov't promo and free transport as city on track for lowest turnout". Hong Kong Free Press.
  9. ^ Cheng, Selina (20 December 2021). "Hong Kong 'patriots' poll results: Lowest election turnout yet, as pro-govt candidates sweep into legislature". Hong Kong Free Press.
  10. ^ "【立法會爭位．地區直選】無效票比率創歷屆新高 11「非建制派」僅取 6.6% 選票全敗 民建聯 10 區全勝". Stand News. 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  11. ^ "'Political apathy drove voters away'". RTHK. 20 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Hong Kong elections: Beijing redefines democracy". MERICS. 22 December 2021.
  13. ^ "Hong Kong elections: already dominant pro-establishment camp secures near clean sweep in first 'patriots-only' Legislative Council poll". South China Morning Post. 20 December 2021.