Polls open in Hong Kong’s new ‘patriots-only’ district council election

Voters across Hong Kong turned out to cast ballots in the city’s district council elections on Sunday, December 10, 2023. The polls were the first held since authorities restructured the city’s local electoral system to ensure “patriots-only” governance in the municipal advisory bodies. The number of council seats that are directly elected has been cut from over 90 per cent to less than 20 per cent. Opposition politicians and activists say the revamp has taken away what was the city's most democratic election. Supporters of the changes argue that restructuring was needed so the councils could function properly.