Hong Kong spent HK$1.13 billion on Legco poll, up by 35% over figure for 2021

Hong Kong spent HK$1.13 billion (US$144.27 million) on the Legislative Council election last year, or nearly 35 per cent more than on the previous poll, with authorities citing rising technology expenses, staff salaries and venue rentals for the increased expenditure.In a written response to lawmakers’ inquiries that came to light on Thursday, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau revealed the revised budget for the Registration and Electoral Office for the 2025-26 financial year that included the costs of the preparatory work and voter registration drives.The HK$1.13 billion price tag, as shown in the document, represented a 34.6 per cent jump from the HK$841 million spent on the 2021 election, according to the office.It said the increase was driven primarily by higher spending on information technology support, promotional campaigns, venue rentals and staff pay.About 34,000 civil servants were recruited to assist in the poll held on December 7 to elect 90 lawmakers.Operational expenses made up HK$680 million, covering polling and counting station operations, venue rentals and the leasing of temporary offices. Another HK$300 million was spent on personnel expenses, while HK$149 million went to promotion efforts.