Hong Kong’s first ‘patriots-only’ district council poll reflects political tale of two cities, as some eagerly rush to vote and others shy away

Hong Kong on election day splits into two camps, with one eager to vote out of civic duty and others giving polling stations wide berth over lack of political diversity

‘I thought more people would come and vote because there has been more publicity,’ one elector says after discovering sleepy atmosphere at local polling station

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Sunday’s election saw some residents eager to cast their votes, as others gave polling stations a wide berth. Photo: Elson LI

Published: 11:11pm, 10 Dec 2023Updated: 11:20pm, 10 Dec 2023

Hong Kong’s first “patriots-only” district council election on Sunday morphed into the political equivalent of a tale of two cities.

One side comprised enthusiastic voters who shared social media content of them casting their ballots.

While another, larger, camp was indifferent and steered clear of the more than 600 polling stations dotted across the city, with many remaining quiet throughout the 15 hours that voting was open.

Among those eager to cast their vote was a Taikoo Shing local named Yeung who returned to the polling station in her neighbourhood for the first time in four years and was surprised by the lack of crowds.

A voter holds up their “thank you for voting” card for a picture outside a polling station in North Point. Photo: Sam Tsang

“I thought more people would come and vote because there has been more publicity,” the 50-year-old administrative worker said. “I also thought there would be a queue as people had to queue in the past.”