Nobody ‘was forced to vote,’ Hong Kong minister says after record number of invalid ballots in 2025 legislative polls

No one was forced to vote, a Hong Kong minister has said, after a record number of invalid ballots were logged during this year’s “patriots only” legislative elections more than a week ago.

Erick Tsang, secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, said on HOY TV on Saturday that, based on his observation, many people voted voluntarily in the 2025 Legislative Council (LegCo) elections, which took place on December 7.

Campaign flags for the 2025 Legislative Council election candidates. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

“I went to many polling stations on voting day. I found that many voted voluntarily, and they had good expectations of the elections. I think nobody was forced to vote, nor did anybody vote reluctantly,” Tsang said in Cantonese when asked by the TV host about a large number of invalid votes.

The TV host cited outgoing lawmaker Regina Ip, who suggested that some people cast invalid ballots probably because they felt forced to vote following the government’s large-scale mobilisation to boost turnout.

More than 40,000 invalid ballots were recorded in the second “all patriots” elections earlier this month – constituting 3.12 per cent of all votes cast in the direct polls, a new high since the 1997 Handover.

The government has not reached any conclusion about the invalid ballots, and it is still checking to see how many were blank and how many were filled out incorrectly, Tsang said.

Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang attends a press conference on May 2, 2023, about the proposed amendments to Hong Kong’s District Councils. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

The 2025 LegCo elections saw a 31.9 per cent turnout – a rise of 1.7 percentage points compared with the 2021 elections.

However, the latest turnout was the second lowest on record – far below the highest turnout recorded during the 2016 LegCo elections, which reached 58.28 per cent.

Tsang said that the voter turnout this year should only be compared with that of the 2021 elections – the first race after the government “improved” the electoral system.

Before the electoral overhaul, “anti-China disruptors entered the legislature… They delayed the work of the government and harmed the work of the legislature,” Tsang said. “They also incited people to vote by attracting voters’ attention and gaining popularity through sensationalism.”

In March 2021, Beijing passed legislation to ensure “patriots” govern Hong Kong. The move reduced democratic representation in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced a pro-Beijing vetting panel to select candidates. Authorities say the overhaul ensures the city’s stability and prosperity. But the changes also prompted international condemnation, as much of the traditional opposition remains behind bars, in self-exile or has quit politics.

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The minister acknowledged that the Tai Po fire – the city’s deadliest blaze in nearly eight decades – might have had some impact on the voter turnout, both negative and positive.

“While some people with a heavy heart may have had no mood to cast a vote, some others may have turned sorrow and anger into action to make the government do a better job in handling the disaster and the recovery following the fire,” Tsang said.