HONG KONG – On Sunday, residents of Hong Kong are heading to the polls for a legislative election, marking the second such event since a significant 2021 reform removed the pro-democracy opposition from the political landscape in the Chinese territory.

This election arrives shortly after a catastrophic apartment fire that claimed the lives of at least 159 people, potentially serving as a barometer for the public’s opinion on the government’s response to the disaster.

All eyes are on voter participation rates, which plummeted to around 30% in the 2021 election following the system’s overhaul, leading to waning public engagement. Analysts suggest that widespread discontent over the government’s handling of the fire could further dampen voter turnout.

Hong Kong’s leader, John Lee, has urged citizens to cast their votes, emphasizing on Friday that doing so would reflect support for future reforms. He also mentioned plans to present a proposal to the incoming legislature aimed at aiding those affected by the fire, many of whom have been left without homes.

The voting stations will remain open until 11:30 p.m.

Deadly blaze stalled get-out-the-vote efforts

Election campaigning was suspended after the fire and remained subdued in the final days out of respect for the victims.

Government efforts to drive up turnout — seen as a referendum on the new electoral system — had been in full swing before the blaze.

Officials held candidate forums, extended voting by two hours, added polling stations and offered subsidies to older people and centers for people with disabilities to help their clients vote, along with hanging promotional banners and posters throughout the city.

Authorities arrested people who allegedly posted content that incited others not to vote or cast invalid votes.

Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has raised questions over government oversight and suspected bid-rigging in building maintenance projects. The 1980s-era apartment complex was undergoing renovations.

Lee said last week that going ahead with the election, rather than delaying it, would better support the response to the fire.

“They have all experienced this fire and shared the pain,” he said of the city’s Legislative Council. “They will certainly work with the government to promote reforms, diligently review funding, and draft relevant laws.”

Candidates are required to be Beijing loyalists

Many of the city’s 4.1 million eligible voters, especially democracy supporters, have turned away from politics since a crackdown that followed massive anti-government protests in 2019.

Even before the 2021 electoral changes, only half of what had been a 70-member legislature was chosen by the general electorate.

Now, that has been reduced to 20 out of 90 seats. Another 40 are chosen by a largely pro-Beijing election committee. The remaining 30 represent various groups — mainly major industries such as finance, health care and real estate — and are elected by their members.

Candidates are vetted to ensure they are patriots loyal to the central government in Beijing.

The candidate pool seems to reflect Beijing’s desire to have more lawmakers who are more in tune with its agenda, some observers said, in what they see as signs of Beijing’s tightening control even over its loyalists.

Lee has said that personnel changes are normal during an election. He criticized attempts to “distort” these changes to smear the new election system.

A fall in turnout would show that even some government supporters are staying away, said John Burns, an honorary professor of politics and public administration at the University of Hong Kong.

Some might want to show support for the government’s response to the fire, but others might have reservations because of the high death toll and reports of systemic problems in the building maintenance industry.

“It is a reflection of public sentiment,” he said.

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Moritsugu reported from Beijing. Associated Press writer Chan Ho-him in Hong Kong contributed to this report.