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Constitution and Administration
The Electoral System
Electoral System for Legislative Council
Composition of first to sixth terms of Legislative Council
Membership
First term
Second term
Third and fourth terms
Fifth and sixth
terms
(1998-2000)
(2000-04)
(2004-08 and
(2012-16 and
2008-12)
2016-20)
Elected by geographical
20
24
30
35
constituencies through
direct elections
Elected by functional
30
constituencies
10
2018
89 18
30
6
60
60
60
70
818
30
35
Elected by an election committee
Total
Geographical Constituencies
All eligible persons aged 18 or above have the right to be registered as electors and to vote in geographical constituency elections, which are held on the basis of universal suffrage. There are about 3.78 million registered electors.
The HKSAR is divided into five geographical constituencies, each returning five to nine seats in the sixth-term Legislative Council. Electors choose lists of candidates using the list voting system, which operates under the 'largest remainder' formula, a form of proportional representation.
Any permanent resident of the HKSAR who is a Chinese citizen with no right of abode in any foreign country may stand for election in any geographical constituency, provided this person is a registered elector, has attained the age of 21 and has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for the preceding three years.
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Functional Constituencies
For the sixth-term Legislative Council, the functional constituencies are: (1) Heung Yee Kuk' ; (2) agriculture and fisheries; (3) insurance; (4) transport; (5) education; (6) legal; (7) accountancy; (8) medical; (9) health services; (10) engineering; (11) architectural, surveying, planning and landscape; (12) labour; (13) social welfare; (14) real estate and construction; (15) tourism; (16) commercial (first); (17) commercial (second); (18) industrial (first); (19) industrial (second); (20) finance; (21) financial services; (22) sports, performing arts, culture and publication; (23) import and export; (24) textiles and garment; (25) wholesale and retail; (26) information technology; (27) catering; (28) District Council (first) and (29) District Council (second). The labour functional constituency returns three Legislative Council members and the District Council (second)
The Heung Yee Kuk is a statutory advisory body on New Territories affairs.
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