The 8th-term Legislative Council Election of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is held on December 7, 2025. The HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee, accompanied with his wife Janet Lee Lam Lai-sim, cast their ballots at the Raimondi College polling station. Photo: Courtesy of Lee's social media
The 8th-term Legislative Council Election of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is held on Sunday, marking another important LegCo election following the improvement of its electoral system and the implementation of the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong." Polling stations across Hong Kong opened at 7:30 am and will remain open until 11:30 pm, with preliminary results scheduled to be announced in the early morning of Monday, CCTV reported.
A total of 90 Members of the Legislative Council will be elected in this election, including 40 seats from the Election Committee constituency, 30 from the functional constituencies, and 20 from the geographical constituencies through direct elections. The term of office for the successful candidates will commence on January 1, 2026, for a period of four years.
HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee, accompanied by his wife Janet Lee Lam Lai-sim, cast their ballots at the Raimondi College polling station on Sunday morning, according to local media reports.
Speaking to the media after voting, Lee said the process went smoothly. He noted that reports from various polling stations indicated smooth operations so far, and he urged local residents to vote enthusiastically, calling it "a vote to push forward reform, a vote to protect the disaster victims," Sing Tao Daily reported.
He said he would work with the new legislators to take good care of the victims, uncover the truth, and support recovery efforts, according to the local media report.
Asked whether the investigation results of the Wang Fuk Court fire would be released during his term, Lee said he attaches great importance to uncovering the truth and ensuring accountability. He added that the government is currently selecting a judge to lead the inquiry. Describing himself as "an impatient person," he said he would not wait for all results to be finalized and would act as quickly as possible to ensure the public can live with greater peace of mind.
The devastating blaze at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong's Tai Po has claimed 159 lives. To prevent similar tragedy, the HKSAR government will establish an independent commission chaired by a judge to conduct a detailed investigation into the deadly fire, and the commission will submit its recommendations and report to the HKSAR CE.
John Lee said the Wang Fuk Court fire was heartbreaking, and that a great deal of work must be done — including supporting the victims, handling follow-up and reconstruction, uncovering the full truth, pursuing accountability, and pushing the institutional reform to make society safer and give citizens greater peace of mind.
At the first meeting of the new LegCo, the government would introduce its first motion to discuss how to support the victims and how to advance institutional reforms, Lee said, expressing the hope to work with legislators to ensure victims are cared for, to uncover the truth as soon as possible, and to move toward recovery.
HKSAR Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki cast his vote on Sunday morning.
Chan noted that he understands the public is still grieving over the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po, but stressed that the LegCo is crucial for Hong Kong's future and for the government's policy implementation, including supporting disaster victims and carrying out relief efforts - all of which require LegCo's cooperation and oversight.
Not only Tai Po residents, but people across Hong Kong are feeling heavy-hearted because of the tragedy. However, voting does not take much time, and it carries great significance, Chan said, noting that for Hong Kong to keep moving forward and to help the affected residents, collaboration with the LegCo is essential.
He also expressed hope that the new LegCo can be elected on schedule, ensuring there is no governance vacuum on January 1 next year that could hinder policymaking.
