Hong Kong voters mostly shunned a citywide poll to select Beijing-approved candidates for the city’s legislature. “These choices aren’t actually choices, so it’s meaningless to vote,” said a 34-year-old who had no intention of voting.
to select Beijing-approved candidates for the city’s legislature, dealing a blow to the government’s efforts to show it had popular support after a national security crackdown that has crushed dissent in the city.
Turnout on Sunday was on course to be the lowest for a legislative election since the city’s return to China from British rule more than two decades ago. Just 29.3% of the city’s 4.5 million registered voters had cast ballots as of 9:30 p.m., with one hour to go until polls close. In 2016, total turnout was 58.3%. The lowest post-handover turnout previously was 43.6% in 2001.
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