1971 Hong Kong municipal election

The 1971 Hong Kong Urban Council election was held on 3 March 1971 for the five of the ten elected seats of the Urban Council of Hong Kong. 10,047 of the 37,778 eligible voters cast their votes, the turnout rate was 26.6 per cent, slightly better than the previous election in 1969.[1]

1971 Hong Kong municipal election

← 1969 3 March 1971 1973 →

5 (of the 10) elected seats to the Urban Council
Registered37,778 Increase9.85%
Turnout10,047 (26.59%) Increase2.81pp
  First party Second party
 
Leader Hilton Cheong-Leen Brook Bernacchi
Party Civic Reform
Seats before 5 3
Seats after 5 3
Seat change Steady Steady
Popular vote 13,016 6,139
Percentage 34.38% 16.22%
Swing Decrease8.20pp Decrease33.00pp

Cecilia Yeung of the Reform Club of Hong Kong won the seat onto the Urban Council, becoming the first Chinese woman ever elected to this Council, edging out incumbent Solomon Rafeek with a margin of 139 votes. Elsie Elliott, who was dubbed as the "Queen of the Polls", led the field of ten candidates with 7,578 votes, topping her 1967 record by more than 500 votes.[2]

Outcome

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Urban Council Election 1971
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Elsie Elliott 7,578 20.02 +4.69
Civic Hilton Cheong-Leen 5,790 15.29 +3.89
Independent Denny M. H. Huang 5,550 14.66 +1.65
Civic Charles C. C. Sin 3,898 10.30 New
Reform Cecilia L. Y. Yeung 3,534 9.33 New
Independent Solomon Rafeek 3,395 8.97 +0.31
Reform Patrick P. T. Wong 2,605 6.88
Independent L. K. Ding 2,182 5.76
Civic Edmund W. H. Chow 1,693 4.47
Civic George K. F. Li 1,635 4.32
Turnout 10,047 26.59 +2.81
Registered electors 37,778 +9.85

Citations

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  1. ^ "Turnout at election 'fairly good'". 4 March 1971.
  2. ^ "First Chinese Urbco Woman". The Standard. 4 March 1971.

References

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  • Lau, Y.W. (2002). A history of the municipal councils of Hong Kong : 1883-1999 : from the Sanitary Board to the Urban Council and the Regional Council. Leisure and Cultural Service Dept.
  • Pepper, Suzanne (2008). Keeping Democracy at Bay:Hong Kong and the Challenge of Chinese Political Reform. Rowman & Littlefield.