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

Nominations have begun for the influential electoral body known as the Election Committee, which determines Hong Kong's top leader and selects nearly half of the territory's lawmakers. The nomination window for 982 seats on the 1,500-member committee opened on September 7, 2025, and will close on October 20. If approved nominees exceed the required 982, a supplementary vote 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 form the body, which is divided into five sectors, each encompassing 40 subsectors. One sector focuses on industrial, commerce, and finance representatives, while sectors for lawmakers, district organizations, and Beijing bodies, including National People's Congress deputies and National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference members, hold 40 percent of the seats.

The Election Committee's five-year term starts on February 1, 2026, and ends on January 31, 2032. To become a candidate, one must be a registered geographical constituency elector aged 18 or above, hold a valid voter registration for their respective subsector, or have a significant connection to that subsector. The Election Committee was abolished in 2004 and reintroduced in 2021, with Beijing's legislation aimed at ensuring "patriots" govern Hong Kong, reducing democratic representation, tightening election control, and introducing a pro-Beijing vetting panel.

Critics argue the changes undermine Hong Kong's stability and prosperity and have drawn international condemnation due to the continued imprisonment of traditional opposition figures, those in self-exile, and those who have left politics. Nomination forms can be obtained from the Registration and Electoral Office website or collected from various offices, with the total election cost estimated at around HK$260 million, including staff costs, publicity, and other expenses.