Voter registration among residents aged 18 to 20 has been cut in half in Hong Kong, where national security laws have been implemented.

According to a release from the Hong Kong Electoral Office, 5,810 residents aged 18 to 20 were among the newly registered voters ahead of this December’s District Council elections.

That’s half the number from last year, and only a tenth of the number from 2019, when anti-government protests raged.

Hong Kong requires people to register to vote the first time they participate in an election after turning 18.

The overall number of voters has also fallen.

Out of a population of about 7.3 million, Hong Kong has a provisional count of 4,329,710 registered voters, down 80,000 or 1.9% from last year.

“Political apathy and immigration are the two main factors behind the decline in the number of newly registered voters,” analyzed Hong Kong political commentator Sonny Law.

Following the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Ordinance on June 30, 2020, Hong Kong’s electoral system was revamped under the premise of “governing Hong Kong by patriots.

As a result, anyone wishing to stand for election must first be vetted by the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee, 먹튀검증토토사이트 which reviews candidate qualifications to ensure that only “patriots” are allowed to stand for election.