The pro-China government has been seeking to boost turnout, as some observers see large numbers spurning the polls, in contrast to the last council elections in 2019, during Hong Kong's mass pro-democracy protests, which drew a record 71% turnout and a landslide victory for the democratic camp.
One of Hong Kong's most prominent pro-democracy activists, who was jailed as part of a China-imposed security crackdown, said on Sunday she had left Hong Kong for Canada after pressure from authorities left her with mental health issues. Agnes Chow, 27 - a core member of a now-disbanded group of younger activists including Joshua Wong who helped drive Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement - said in posts on her Instagram account late on Sunday that she had left Hong Kong for studies in Canada.
Prominent Thailand activist Arnon Nampa said before being sentenced to prison for defaming the monarch that "personal freedom is a sacrifice I'm willing to make."