HONG KONG — Hong Kong concluded its 2025 Legislative Council (LegCo) elections late Saturday, with preliminary results indicating a modest increase in overall voter engagement and revealing shifts among establishment figures securing seats in the newly reformed body.
The marathon 16-hour voting period, running from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on December 7, saw key political players vying for positions across geographical constituencies, functional constituencies, and the powerful Election Committee sector. The final district direct election turnout reached 31.90 percent, surpassing the previous cycle’s total turnout of 30.2 percent and drawing over 1.3 million voters to the polls.
Diverse Races Yield Early Leaders
As the counting process continued into the early morning hours, initial disclosures from the Geographical Constituencies pointed to strong performances by incumbent and pro-establishment candidates.
In the New Territories North contest, Tam Chun-kwok, associated with the New Territories Association of Societies, led the field with approximately 12,000 votes, followed closely by Raymond Yao from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) at around 11,000 votes.
Meanwhile, the election in New Territories Northwest saw the re-election bid of two incumbents, Dominic Lee (New People’s Party) and Chan Hak-kan (DAB), gain significant early traction, with leads of 14,000 and 10,000 votes, respectively, placing them well ahead of their rivals. In Kowloon Central, National People’s Congress Standing Committee member Starry Lee was the definitive frontrunner with over 19,000 votes, though the race for the second seat remained highly competitive.
Election Committee Seats Solidified
The composition of the crucial 40 seats allocated via the Election Committee was determined swiftly, with notable successes and a few upsets. Securing the highest vote tallies were Raymond Yiu Pak-leung, who transitioned from another electoral category, earning the top spot, or “King of Votes,” with 1,397 votes. Fellow incumbent Priscilla Chan Hoi-yan followed closely, becoming the “Queen of Votes” with 1,386 votes.
The DAB celebrated a clean sweep, with all eight of its candidates—including Chan Hak-kan, Elizabeth Quat, and Chan Chung-ni—successfully securing committee seats. However, the Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) faced mixed results, electing only two of its four hopefuls, with two vice-chairpersons failing to gain election. New faces joining the Legislative Council via this path included political veterans like Wen Ying-yee and former police association chief Chan Cho-kwong.
Administrative Oversight and Logistics
Despite the complexity of the elections, Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) Chairman Barnabas Fung Wah stated that the counting process was proceeding smoothly and within expectations. He noted that the extension of the voting duration until 11:30 p.m. was primarily a measure to enhance public convenience, dismissing suggestions that it was aimed at artificially boosting turnout.
“Even if we extended voting for 24 hours, those who choose not to vote will still not participate,” Fung said, while acknowledging the need for the EAC to review the cost-effectiveness of such measures.
Fung also remarked that voting rates at three polling stations affected by a fire in Tai Po were comparable to other districts. He expressed admiration for residents, some affected by the disaster, who still came out to vote, reflecting their desire for representatives to advocate on their behalf.
The highest cumulative turnout for geographical constituencies was observed in New Territories Southwest, Southeast, and Northwest, signaling intense local engagement. For functional constituencies, business (Third), Innovation and Technology, and the Agriculture and Fisheries sectors recorded the strongest participation rates.
While the election results cement the Legislative Council’s composition under the current political framework, the focus now shifts to the policy agenda of the new council as it tackles pressing economic and social issues facing the territory.
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