Hong Kong local elections

The Hong Kong local elections (Chinese: 區議會選舉) are elections in Hong Kong for the members of District Councils (known as District Boards before 2000). First held in 1982, the elections are held at 4-year intervals for returning a total of 452 elected members as at 2019. The last election was held on 24 November 2019.

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Background

The Green Paper: A Pattern of District Administration in Hong Kong was published on 6 June 1980 for public consultations on reforming local administration in Hong Kong. The Green Paper recommended that:[1] District Boards (區議會) be established in each district with some members of District Boards be returned by elections.

Upon the conclusion of public consultations, the White Paper: District Administration in Hong Kong in Hong Kong was published in January 1981 affirming the Government's commitment to establish District Boards in each district by March 1982. District Boards in New Territories were to be established by reconstituting existing District Consultation Committees.[2] The Government subsequently enacted the District Board Ordinance (Cap. 366) to provide for the formation of District Boards:

  • to be composed of elected members, appointed or elected members of the Urban Council or chairmen of Rural Committees, appointed unofficial members and main official members of corresponding District Management Committees;
  • to be formed by around 25-30 members, with an unofficial majority;
  • to be initially chaired by officials, but chairmen to be elected among members as soon as possible; and
  • with 1-2 members per constituency, elected through first-past-the-post voting or single non-transferable vote.

The first elections for District Boards on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon were held on 4 March 1982, while elections for District Boards in the New Territories were held on 23 September 1982.[3]

Electoral System

The elections are conducted by simple plurality since 1982, with each constituency having an average population of around 17,000 people. Changes to the composition and electoral system of elected District Council members are outlined as follows:

Election Voting system Total number of elected seats District magnitude
1982 first-past-the-post voting /
single non-transferable vote		 132 seats 1-2 seats
1985 237 seats
1988 264 seats
1991 274 seats
1994 first-past-the-post voting 346 seats 1 seat
1999 390 seats
2003 400 seats
2007 405 seats
2011 412 seats
2015 431 seats
2019 452 seats

Electoral Results
District Council elections
Election Largest faction in
elected seats		 Composition of
elected seats (by alignment)		 % of popular vote won by the
largest faction in elected seats		 Turnout
1994 Pro-Beijing Camp 146:4:196




 54.12% 33.14%
1999 157:1:232




 54.69% 35.82%
2003 198:1:201




 46.48% 44.10%
2007 127:2:276




 53.98% 38.83%
2011 103:8:301




 55.42% 41.49%
2015 126:7:298




 54.61% 47.01%
2019 Pro-democracy camp 388:2:62




 57.09% 71.23%

Division of Districts and Constituencies

A total of 18 District Councils were established, each with 11 to 37 elected members depending on the respective population. Historically, there were19 District Councils but Mong Kok District Council was merged with the Yau Tsim District Council to form the Yau Tsim Mong District Council, named after a neologism that incorporates words from three major areas of the district into its name.

Existing District Councils are listed as follows:

Hong Kong Island

Kowloon (including New Kowloon)

New Territories (excluding New Kowloon)

Nominations

Lists for parties and for individuals may be nominated during a two-week nomination period ending five weeks before polling day.

Candidacy requirement

Candidates have to fulfill the following requirements:[4]

  • has reached 21 years of age;
  • is a permanent resident of Hong Kong;
  • is registered and eligible for registration as an elector for geographical constituencies;
  • has ordinary resided in Hong Kong for the 3 years immediately preceding the nomination; and
  • does not hold office as the chairman of a Rural Committee

References
  1. The Hong Kong Government (1980). Green Paper: A Pattern of District Administration in Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Government Printer.
  2. The Hong Kong Government (1981). White Paper: District Administration in Hong Kong in Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Government Printer.
  3. "District Board Ordinance (Cap. 366)". Hong Kong e-Legislation.
  4. , "Guidelines on Election-related Activities in respect of the District Council Elections", Electoral Affairs Commission
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