Inciting others to boycott the vote was criminalised in 2021. On Sunday, Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) said that four men, aged between 31 and 44, had been arrested for allegedly inciting others not to vote, or to cast invalid votes, in social media comments. The Icac said all up it had arrested 11 people for allegedly contravening laws in relation to the offence during the current election, and three had so far been prosecuted.

It seems people not voting is less preferable for the regime than them voting for a puppet.