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

Hong Kong’s first Legislative Council election under the improved electoral system concluded in an orderly and smooth fashion on Sunday and saw great enthusiasm among voters to elect qualified lawmakers to serve the public good.

As of press time, the counting of votes had yet to be finished. The election saw 153 candidates vying for 90 seats, including 40 returned by the Election Committee, 30 from Functional Constituencies, and 20 from Geographical Constituencies.

The election for the seventh-term LegCo started at 8:30 am and lasted until late at night, with more than 1.3 million registered electors casting their ballots in over 630 polling stations across the city. As of 9:30 pm, the aggregate turnout rate of the Election Committee Constituency was 98 percent, and the rates of the Functional and Geographical Constituencies were 30.9 and 29.2 percent respectively.

The lawmakers, who will serve the next four years, will assume office on Jan 1, and the first session starts on Jan 12.

Hong Kong residents queue up for a free bus ride during the Legislative Council General Election on Dec 19, 2021 in Hong Kong. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

On polling day, many people took free rides by bus, the subway, and trams to go to the polling stations, under a special arrangement offered by public transport operators to encourage people to vote

In a meeting with media representatives on Sunday afternoon, Barnabas Fung Wah, chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, said all polling stations operated smoothly, and the electronic distribution system of ballot papersalso worked well. No polling station saw the waiting time exceed 30 minutes.

Voters’ enthusiasm also ran high. On polling day, many people took free rides by bus, the subway, and trams to go to the polling stations, under a special arrangement offered by public transport operators to encourage people to vote. To deal with the crowds during the rush hours, the Mass Transit Railway Corp also added 600 employees to facilitate the arrangement.

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Registered voters of Hong Kong residents based on the Chinese mainland actively cast their votes in polling stations that were set up at border checkpoints. The Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau Spur Line and Heung Yuen Wai checkpoints received thousands of Hong Kong voters from Beijing, Shanghai, and mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Residents walk to a polling station in Sha Tin to vote in the 2021 Legislative Council General Election on Dec 19, 2021. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

Among the voting crowd were also officials and civic leaders. Casting her ballot shortly after the polling started, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the government spared no effort to ensure a fair, open, and efficient election.

She added that it is a vote of confidence for the improved electoral system and the future of the HKSAR, and will pave the way for Hong Kong’s long-term peace and stability.

She and her colleagues will cooperate fully with the newly elected LegCo members to better reflect public opinion and create a better future for Hong Kong, Lam said.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said it is a vote of confidence for the improved electoral system and the future of the HKSAR, and will pave the way for Hong Kong’s long-term peace and stability

Leading businesswoman Pansy Ho Chiu-king, a member of the Election Committee, which was charged with electing 40 seats in the new LegCo, said she believes the election will bring more young and new faces to represent the future of Hong Kong.

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She said she hopes the election will be the start of a peaceful, contributive and fruitful Legislative Council that will also integrate well with the community and society. She also said she believes the morebalanced composition of the council will help Hong Kong betteraddress livelihood and social problems, and seize more opportunities from national development.

Leung Chun-ying, a vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and a former Hong Kong chief executive, said the high turnout rate of the Election Committee Constituency is a living embodiment of society’s recognition of the election.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng yuet-ngor votes at Raimondi College, Central, during the Legislative Council elections on Dec 19, 2021. (CLAVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Leung Chun-ying, a vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, said the high turnout rate of the Election Committee Constituency is a living embodiment of society’s recognition of the election

He said that the committee, with 1,448 members from various sectors, has broad representation and great social influence. The committee members’ active participation in the voting will inspire more residents to vote for Hong Kong’s future, he added.

To improve Hong Kong’s electoral system, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress adopted a decision in March to revamp the mechanism, including the methods of electing the Legislative Council and the city’s chief executive.

Under the new system, the number of LegCo members was increased from 70 to 90, with a newly added Election Committee Constituency.

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The city held the Election Committee polls on Sept 19, and will hold the chief executive election on March 27 under the improved system.