Hong Kong candidate vetting body approves 1,115 election committee nominees
Hong Kong's Candidate Eligibility Committee has approved all 1,115 nominees for 982 elected seats on the Election Committee and 156 nominated members from designated groups, plus 341 ex-officio members, ahead of the 2026 election.
Hong Kong's Candidate Eligibility Committee (CEC) has ruled on the nominations and registrations for the Election Committee, approving all candidates and members for the upcoming election cycle. The CEC, chaired by Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, includes Security Minister Tang Siu-keung, Home and Youth Affairs Minister Ma Mei-yan and Constitutional Affairs Minister Erick Tsang as official members, alongside non-official members Elsie Leung, Maria Tam and Professor Lau Lawrence.
For the 982 committee seats to be filled by the 2026 Election Committee by-election, the returning officer received 1,115 nomination forms during the nomination period. After review, the CEC ruled that all 1,115 candidates' nominations were valid.
Regarding the 156 committee seats to be filled by nominations from designated bodies, the returning officer received 40 nomination forms from those bodies, involving 161 nominees. Under Section 12(2) of the Electoral Management Committee (Election Procedures) (Election Committee) Regulations (Chapter 541I), the CEC only needs to rule on the validity of nominations for the number of seats required in each sector. Based on the priority order indicated by the designated bodies, the CEC approved 156 nominees' nominations as valid. It did not examine the eligibility of the remaining five extra nominees.
Under Sections 5I and 5J of the Schedule to the Chief Executive Election Ordinance (Chapter 569), individuals holding specified positions listed in Part 2A of that Schedule may register as ex-officio members of the Election Committee. The CEC ruled that the registrations of 341 ex-officio members were valid.
The relevant gazette notices will be uploaded to the election website (www.elections.gov.hk) and the Registration and Electoral Office website. The Registration and Electoral Office and returning officers for the relevant sectors will also notify all registered ex-officio members, candidates and nominees of the CEC's decisions.