Hong Kong Holds First 'Patriots Only' Local Elections

A "patriots only" district election in Hong Kong that barred opposition democrats from the ballot sheet amid a national security squeeze had a record low voter turnout of 27.5% as many voters spurned what was seen as an undemocratic poll.

The sharp slide in turnout since the last such election in 2019 comes after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law that has been used to clamp down on dissent, and overhauled the electoral system to shut out democrats and other liberals.

"It can be seen that everyone has begun to feel that the election has no meaning," said Lemon Wong, one of the few remaining democrats still involved in local politics.