Hong Kong election records low turnout as residents blame authorities for fatal fire

Hong Kong recorded one of its lowest election turnouts on Sunday as anger over the city’s deadliest fire in decades overshadowed voting, despite officials extending voting hours and opening additional polling stations to boost participation.

The Legislative Council poll, limited to candidates approved as “patriots”  saw a turnout of 31.9%, slightly higher than the 30.2% recorded in 2021, the lowest since the territory returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

However, officials confirmed that the total number of ballots cast was lower than four years ago.

Under Hong Kong’s election system, only 20 of the 90 seats are directly elected. The remaining seats are filled by an election committee dominated by Beijing loyalists along with special interest and professional groups.

David Lok, chairman of the Election Commission, said the recent tragedy had altered the “social atmosphere, making it a very difficult election for us to organise.”

Security presence was heavy in Tai Po, near the mainland China border, where a fire on November 26 ripped through seven residential towers, killing at least 159 people. Police maintained a strong patrol around Wang Fuk Court, the site of the blaze.

Residents remain furious over the disaster, which took nearly two days to extinguish. Authorities say the rapid spread of the fire was fuelled by substandard building materials used during renovation works at the housing estate.

Hong Kong leader John Lee said his administration would work with the new legislature to “drive institutional reform” following the tragedy, as calls grow for greater accountability and stronger regulation of the construction sector.

In a bid to manage public outrage, authorities have launched both criminal and corruption investigations into the cause of the fire.

The city’s anti-corruption agency also announced the arrest of four men accused of using social media to urge people not to vote or to spoil their ballots. An arrest warrant was issued for a fifth suspect.

Inciting a vote boycott has been a criminal offense since electoral changes that sidelined pro-democracy voices. Many pro-democracy supporters who once made up the majority of voters have continued to avoid the polls.

Late Sunday, authorities removed flowers and offerings from a small memorial in a park near the burned-out buildings, a move observers say reflects official concern over rising public anger.

China’s national security office in Hong Kong has warned against any attempts to use the fire to “disrupt Hong Kong” and cautioned foreign media editors against spreading “false information” about the government’s handling of the disaster.

For many residents, trust remains low. A 79-year-old man who lives near the affected estate said he chose not to vote.

“I’m very upset by the great fire,” he said, declining to give his full name. “I won’t vote to support those pro-establishment politicians who failed us.”

Registered voters for the election dropped to 4.13 million, continuing a four-year decline from a peak of 4.47 million in 2021.

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