Turnout high in election committee vote

Hong Kong saw a significant increase in voter turnout on Sunday in the election of the 1,200-member committee responsible for choosing its next chief executive.

As of 8:30 pm, turnout stood at 39.2 percent, well surpassing the 27.5 percent turnout in December 2011, the last time a committee election was held in the special administrative region. The chief executive will be elected in March, and will assume office about three months later.

More than 230,000 registered voters were eligible to cast their votes at more than 110 polling stations citywide between 7:30 am and 10:30 pm on Sunday. Vote counting will start at midnight and be completed on Monday.