The desk will follow official notices as they are published.

Nominations open for powerful Election Committee that selects Hong Kong leader and lawmakers

Nominations have opened for the powerful electoral body that chooses both Hong Kong’s top leader and almost half of the territory’s lawmakers. Hong Kong officials open a ballot box at the Election Committee by-elections…

Nominations have opened for the powerful electoral body that chooses both Hong Kong’s top leader and almost half of the territory’s lawmakers.

2026-10-06 · Updated 2026-10-06

Photo: GovHK. The nomination period for 982 seats on the 1,500-member Election Committee opened on Wednesday and will run until October 20. If the number of approved nominees exceeds 982, a poll will be held on November 22, according to the government’s Electoral Affairs Commission.

The elected members will join hundreds of other appointed and ex officio members to make up the body. The body consists of five sectors, under which there are a total of 40 subsectors.

One sector is for industrial, commerce and finance representatives. The sectors for lawmakers, representatives of district organisations, and those with ties to Beijing bodies – including deputies to the National People’s Congress and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference – command 40 per cent of seats.

The Election Committee is responsible for electing the chief executive, who must then be confirmed by the Central government, and 40 of the total 90 seats on the Legislative Council.

The committee is also responsible for nominating candidates for the chief executive and LegCo members. A poster promoting the Election Committee Subsector By-elections in 2025.

FAQ

What happened?: Nominations have opened for the powerful electoral body that chooses both Hong Kong’s top leader and almost half of the territory’s lawmakers.
What happens next?: The desk will follow official notices as they are published.