HONG KONG -- "Inciting" the public to cast blank ballots is set to become a criminal offense in Hong Kong, amid growing calls for a boycott of upcoming legislative elections as a way of protesting Beijing's tightening control over the city.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Tuesday revealed plans to amend an ordinance to ban acts that "manipulate or undermine elections," including openly encouraging voters not to vote or to cast invalid ballots, as well as "willfully obstructing and preventing" others from voting.
