Hong Kong elections: more than half of voters unable to name candidates for coming Legco poll, survey shows
- Sixty per cent of respondents in Public Opinion Research Institute poll say they are unaware of who is contesting in their own constituencies for December 19 election
- Lowest voter enthusiasm recorded since 1991, with only 52 per cent willing to show up compared with more than 80 per cent logged in four most recent races
More than half of Hong Kong voters do not know the identities of candidates running for direct seats in their own constituencies, a poll has found with less than a month to the Legislative Council election.
The latest survey by the Public Opinion Research Institute (Pori) also reported the lowest voter enthusiasm since records began in 1991, with the proportion of respondents willing to show up at the December 19 race slumping to 52 per cent from the more than 80 per cent logged in the four most recent races.
The polling institute’s survey – the first of three rounds – to gauge public opinion on the election was released on Tuesday amid accusations by a pro-Beijing legal group that the move aimed to incite voters to cast blank votes, which is banned under the law.
Pori asked 838 respondents about their voting intentions and general knowledge of the election over a four-day period last week before a new national security committee vetted all 154 hopefuls and disqualified one.
The poll is the first direct election after a Beijing overhaul of the political system. Under the sweeping changes, Legco’s membership was expanded from 70 to 90, while the number of directly elected geographical seats was slashed from 35 to 20.
Two lawmakers will be returned in each of the 10 redrawn geographical constituencies. Most constituencies will see a race between two pro-Beijing and one non-establishment hopeful.
In the latest survey, 60 per cent of the respondents said they were completely unaware of who was running in their own constituencies, while the remainder could name at least one candidate.
