Concerns raised as Hong Kong stops compiling voter turnout data by age and sex

Hong Kong election authorities have stopped compiling voter turnout data by age and sex, citing a lack of operational need, in a move that has raised concerns about undermining the transparency of polls.Analysts and politicians said such statistics were valuable for election hopefuls in understanding voter demographics and formulating policy suggestions, while authorities could use the data to improve governance.The South China Morning Post asked the Registration and Electoral Office last month for voter turnout figures by age and sex from last year’s Legislative Council election under the Code on Access to Information.Such data had been routinely disclosed to the public since at least 2008, but the office said that it no longer saw a need to compile and maintain such statistics.The SCMP raised the matter with the Office of the Ombudsman, but it found that there were “no improprieties” in the handling of the request.“Since every case is judged on its own merits, we consider it inappropriate to draw comparisons with previous cases,” it said, refusing to take the case further.