In what was the first Hong Kong legislative election since Beijing overhauled the electoral system to allow the vetting and restriction of candidates according to their political views and "patriotism", turnout hit a record low. Since 1998, the share of eligible voters casting their ballot has been between 44 and 58 percent. This time round though, despite government officials urging people to vote as well as providing free public transport, that sunk to just 30 percent.
This increase in voter apathy has largely been attributed to what Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and US referred to in a post-election joint statement as "grave concern over the erosion of democratic elements" in Hong Kong. China, on the other hand describes the recent changes as a push to ensure stability after a prolonged period of protests which began in 2019. After the election, won by pro-China candidates, China said in a white paper that Hong Kong was now entering a new stage of "restored order".
