HONG KONG -- Voter turnout for Macao's legislative election plunged to a record low after most opposition hopefuls were disqualified, an ominous signal as officials in nearby Hong Kong prepare for year-end polls on similar terms.
According to preliminary data from the Macao Electoral Affairs Commission on Monday, only 42.4% of eligible voters participated in Sunday's public polls. This marked a drop of around 15 percentage points from the previous Legislative Assembly election in 2017 and the first time the turnout rate has fallen below 50% since the city's return to Chinese control from Portugal in 1999.
