Low Turnout Marks Hong Kong Elections Amid Fire Fallout

Hong Kong's election experienced a near-record-low voter turnout amid public anger over a recent deadly fire. The limited participation was marginally higher than the last vote, despite efforts to boost turnout. Candidates were vetted by the government, and only 20 out of 90 positions were directly elected.

Hong Kong's election on Sunday witnessed a near-record-low voter turnout following the city's most devastating fire in decades, fueling public discontent with the China-backed authorities. Despite this, voter participation edged slightly higher than in the previous election four years ago.

Only government-vetted "patriots" were permitted to run for the 90-seat Legislative Council, with just 20 seats being directly elected. The remaining positions were filled by an election committee loyal to Beijing. To encourage voting, polling stations increased and voting hours extended.

The deadly fire shifted the "social atmosphere," making election organization challenging, said David Lok of the Election Commission. Authorities initiated criminal investigations and made arrests for social media posts encouraging a vote boycott, amid public calls for more government accountability.

(With inputs from agencies.)