HONG KONG -- Voting for the election of the eighth-term Legislative Council (LegCo) of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region kicked off Sunday morning.

Long queues had already formed outside multiple polling stations across Hong Kong before the polls opened at 7:30 am local time. At polling station entrances, staff and volunteers attentively assisted voters with the procedures.

The new term of LegCo will be composed of 90 members, including 40 elected by the Election Committee, 30 elected by functional constituencies, and 20 elected by geographical constituencies through direct elections. A total of 161 candidates are contesting the election, with competition for every seat.

HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee cast his ballot around 8:30 am at Raimondi College on Robinson Road. Speaking to the media, Lee hoped that all voters would come out to vote, noting that each ballot represents a push for reform and a collective effort to move forward together.

According to the HKSAR government, voting will conclude at 11:30 pm, with more than 600 polling stations open across Hong Kong to serve approximately 4.13 million registered voters.

The eighth-term LegCo of the HKSAR will commence its four-year term on Jan 1, 2026.