Barnabas Fung Wah, chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission (2nd right), and Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs (2nd left), empty a ballot box at the central counting station of the Legislative Council election at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, Dec 19, 2021. (CALVIN NG/CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission Justice Barnabas Fung Wah and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai emptied a ballot box at the central counting station on Sunday night to kick off vote counting for the 2021 Hong Kong Legislative Council General Election.

Journalists standing on ladders take photographers as electoral staff empty a ballot box at the central counting station at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, Dec 19, 2021. (EDMOND TANG/CHINA DAILY)

Electoral staff sort the ballot papers at the central counting station of the Legislative Council election at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, as Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai inspects the vote-counting process, Dec 19, 2021. (CALVIN NG/CHINA DAILY)

Electoral staff sort the ballot papers at the central counting station of the Legislative Council election at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, as Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai inspects the vote-counting process, Dec 19, 2021. (CALVIN NG/CHINA DAILY)