Voters across the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region cast their ballots in the Legislative Council election on Sunday to pick 90 lawmakers who will serve in office for the next four years.

A total of 161 nominees are in the fray for all 90 seats — 20 seats from 10 geographical constituencies, 30 from 28 functional constituencies and 40 from the Election Committee constituency.

The election, which is a key part of the city’s revamped local governance structure, saw active participation of voters from across society. The authorities set up more than 600 polling stations, primarily located in schools, community facilities and government buildings.

Voter turnout rates in all three constituencies for the 2025 Legislative Council General Election have surpassed those of the 2021 election, with the total number of votes exceeding 1.31 million. The geographical constituencies recorded a turnout rate of 31.9 percent, thefunctional constituencies 40.09 percent, and the Election Committee constituency 99.45 percent — each higher than the corresponding rates in 2021, which were 30.2 percent, 32.22 percent, and 98.48 percent, respectively.

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Voting began at 7:30 am and ended at 11:30 pm, two hours longer than in previous elections.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu arrived at the Raimondi College polling station in the Mid Levels area shortly after 8:30 am and cast his ballot. He called on all eligible voters to cast their ballots for representatives who will “drive reform and safeguard disaster victims”.

The election for the eighth-term Legislative Council is being held less than two weeks after a major fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate killed 159 people and displaced hundreds.

Lee emphasized the role that voters can play in advancing efforts to help those affected by the fire, as he described the election as a step toward making systemic improvements to plug gaps in the construction sector’s practices and ensuring full support for the victims.

“The first meeting of the new Legislative Council will discuss support for the disaster victims. We will consult with lawmakers as soon as possible. Through our discussions, we aim to find the truth swiftly and expedite recovery and reconstruction efforts,” he said.

Senior officials of the SAR government arrived at various polling stations to cast their ballots, and they encouraged the public to vote early.

Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki echoed Lee when he said that the new legislature will play an important role in the SAR’s governance, especially in terms of assisting disaster victims. 

After casting his vote at the Election Committee constituency polling station, Leung Chun-ying, vice-chair person of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee, emphasized the broad constitutional powers of the legislature under the Basic Law.

“The aftermath of the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po and the issues it has revealed, such as housing for residents, the renovation or reconstruction of affected units, and measures to prevent similar tragedies, require the Legislative Council to work withthe HKSAR government in accordance with its powers under the Basic Law,” Leung said in a social media post.

Archbishop of Hong Kong Andrew Chan Au-ming encouraged residents to participate in the voting process and demonstrate their support for the community. He expressed hope that the newly elected lawmakers will thoroughly scrutinize policies to help foster a safer environment for all.

During a media briefing in the afternoon, Justice David Lok Kai hong, chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, highlighted many positive and encouraging aspects of the election. He praised election personnel for their professionalism and enthusiasm through out the process, and noted that media reports of Wang Fuk Court fire victims turning out to vote demonstrated a determined spirit to shape their future.

Lok said the election had“brought positive energy to society”, adding that “if it can serve as the first step toward Hong Kong’s full recovery, it would already be a success.” 

Contact the writer at stacyshi@chinadailyhk.com