2025 Legislative Council Election: Voters in Tai Po Hope that the Elected Legislators can Help the Victims Rebuild their Homes

Due to the impact of the fire at Wang Fuk Court, the locations of three polling stations in Tai Po have been adjusted. One of them was changed to Hong Kong Teachers' Association Lee Heng Kwei Secondary School. Early in the morning, many residents in Tai Po came to vote, hoping that the newly elected legislators could help the victims of the Tai Po fire rebuild their homes and get rid of the emotional shadow as soon as possible.

Ms Sit, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms Sit hoped that the elected legislators would do their best to assist the residents of Wang Fuk Court through these difficult times. Since one of her friends passed away in the tragic fire, she has been in a very heavy mood for several days, which has made her unable to sleep or eat well. In her eyes, if the newly elected legislators can find out the cause of the fire as soon as possible and bring justice to the victims, that will be an important step towards healing the residents affected by the fire.

Paul, Photo by Bastille Post

At the same polling station, Paul, a Tai Po resident who used to be a public servant and is now retired, came to vote. He hoped that the newly elected legislators could contribute to the future rebuilding and demolition of Wang Fuk Court.

Mr Chan, Photo by Bastille Post

The Tai Po resident, Mr Chan, hoped that his vote could help to elect the ideal legislators, who could help the residents affected by the Tai Po fire rebuild their homes and get out of the shadow of the disaster soon.

Mr Ling, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr Ling, who works in the food and beverage industry, said that he came to vote after finishing jogging in the morning. He hoped that the elected legislators could focus on solving specific community problems. According to him, his voting decisions would be mainly based on the past performance of the candidates' political parties.

A new polling station in Tai Po: Law Ting Pong Secondary School, Photo by Bastille Post

Since three polling stations in Tai Po have been moved to new locations: Hong Kong Teachers' Association Lee Heng Kwei Secondary School, Sung Tak Wong Kin Sheung Memorial School, and Law Ting Pong Secondary School, many voters took the free shuttle buses arranged by the Registration and Electoral Office, carrying all their family members from Tai Po Community Centre to Law Ting Pong Secondary School to vote in the morning.

Many voters took the free shuttle buses to the new polling stations to vote. Photo by Bastille Post

Many voters took the free shuttle buses to the new polling stations to vote. Photo by Bastille Post

Ms Tong, who took the bus from Tai Po Community Centre to Law Ting Pong Secondary School to vote, said that she hoped to fulfil her civic duty and help the residents affected by the Tai Po fire rebuild their homes by casting her vote. In her eyes, the legislative council election, held as scheduled after the fire disaster, can help to elect new legislators who can engage in the reconstruction work in the disaster-stricken area and help the victims return to their normal life and work pace as soon as possible. She hoped that the elected legislators could assist in offering the disaster victims a place to live.

Ms Tong, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms Lee, who lives in Kwong Wai House of Kwong Fuk Estate, came to vote in Sung Tak Wong Kin Sheung Memorial School. She said that she and her family were not affected by the fire. In her eyes, since "the legislative council election always needs to be held", she hoped the newly elected legislators could be engaged in their work of post-disaster reconstruction soon.  "No matter what aspect, I hope the elected legislators can help the residents in Tai Po recover from the tragic fire soon, since everyone is heartbroken about the losses in the disaster."

Ms Lee, Photo by Bastille Post

As of 3:30 p.m., the cumulative number of voters in the northeastern New Territories, including Tai Po District, was 83,359, with a turnout rate of 18.72%. It's currently the electoral district with the lowest turnout rate in Hong Kong. As of 4:30 p.m., the newly set up polling station for the residents of Wang Fuk Court, Hong Kong Teachers' Association Lee Heng Kwei Secondary School, welcomed 3,021 voters, with a turnout rate of 19.76%, while the one at Law Ting Pong Secondary School had a cumulative number of voters reaching 2,245, with a turnout rate of 18.5%.

A new polling station in Tai Po: Law Ting Pong Secondary School, Photo by Bastille Post

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A national redistricting battle over U.S. House seats swung toward Republicans on Friday, as a Virginia court invalidated a Democratic gerrymandering effort and Republicans in Alabama approved plans for new primary elections if courts allow GOP-drawn House districts to be used in the November midterm elections.

The Alabama legislation, which was signed quickly into law by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, is part of an effort by Republicans in Southern states to capitalize on a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that significantly weakened Voting Rights Act protections for minorities.

At the Alabama Statehouse, a chaotic scene erupted as one protester was dragged from the packed House gallery by security officers. Republican lawmakers in Louisiana and South Carolina also faced staunch opposition from civil rights activists and Democrats as they presented plans Friday to redraw their congressional districts.

The action came just a day after Tennessee enacted new congressional districts that carve up a Democratic-held, Black-majority district in Memphis. The state Democratic Party sued on Friday, seeking to prevent the districts from being used until after this year's elections because of the tight time frame

Even before last week's Supreme Court ruling in a Louisiana case, Republicans and Democrats already were engaged in a fierce redistricting battle, each seeking an edge in the midterm elections that will determine control of the closely divided House. That battle tilted further toward Republicans when the Virginia Supreme Court ruled Friday that Democratic lawmakers had violated constitutional requirements when placing a redistricting amendment on the ballot.

Since President Donald Trump prodded Texas to redraw its congressional districts last summer, Republicans think they could gain as many as 14 seats from new districts in several states while Democrats think they could gain up to six seats. But the parties may not get everything they sought, because the gerrymandering could backfire in some highly competitive districts.

Demonstrators outside the Alabama Statehouse on Friday shouted “fight for democracy” and “down with white supremacy.”

“I was out there in 1965 marching for the right to vote, and now we are back here in 2026 doing the same thing,” Betty White Boynton said.

During debate inside the statehouse, Black lawmakers said the Republican legislation harks back to the state’s shameful Jim Crow history. The new law would ignore the May 19 primary results for some congressional seats and direct the governor to schedule a new primary under revised districts, if a court allows it. Lawmakers also approved a similar bill related to state Senate districts.

“What happened here today is that we were set back as a people to the days of Reconstruction,” Democratic state Sen. Rodger Smitherman said after the vote.

Senate Democrats shouted “hell no” and “stop the steal” as senators voted.

The special primary would happen only if the courts agree to lift an injunction that put a court-selected map in place until after the 2030 census. That order required a second district where Black voters are the majority or close to it, resulting in the 2024 election of Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures, who is Black. If a court lifts the injunction, Republican officials want to put in place a map lawmakers drew in 2023 — which was rejected by a federal court — that could allow them to reclaim Figures’ district.

“With this special session successfully behind us, Alabama now stands ready to quickly act, should the courts issue favorable rulings in our ongoing redistricting cases,” Ivey said in a statement.

On Friday evening, however, a three-judge panel rejected Alabama’s request to lift their injunction and pave the way for changing maps. The request remains pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Democrats had hoped to gain as many as four additional U.S. House seats under new districts narrowly approved by voters in April. But the state Supreme Court invalidated the measure because it said the Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements.

To place a constitutional amendment before voters, the Virginia Constitution requires lawmakers to approve it in two separate legislative sessions, with a state election sandwiched in between. The legislature’s initial approval of the redistricting amendment occurred last October — while early voting was underway but before it concluded for the general election. The legislature’s second vote on the amendment occurred after a new legislative session began in January.

The state Supreme Court said the initial legislative approval came too late, noting that more than 1.3 million ballots already had been cast, about 40% of the total votes ultimately cast.

A Louisiana Senate committee considered several redistricting options Friday from Republican state Sen. John “Jay” Morris that would eliminate either both or one of the current Black-majority U.S. House districts.

“Every one of these maps reduces Black voting power in every one of the districts. And I think that’s a problem,” Democratic state Sen. Sam Jenkins told Morris.

Morris denied that the proposed redistricting maps were racially discriminatory. He said his goal was to be “respectful of the traditional boundaries” of the state’s six congressional districts.

“I don’t think we should care that much about race,” Morris said.

The only four Black congressmen who have represented Louisiana since the end of the Reconstruction era appealed to state senators to keep two majority-Black districts in a state where one-third of voters are Black.

Leona Tate said she was escorted as a 6-year-old girl by federal marshals through a racist white mob trying to prevent her from desegregating a New Orleans elementary school. She told lawmakers she felt they were taking a step backward in time by reducing Black political power.

“You have a choice in front of you: You can draw a map that reflects what Louisiana actually is -- a state where Black voices belong in the halls of Congress,” said Tate, 71. “Or you can draw a map that tells my grandchildren that their votes don’t count, that their faces don’t matter and that the progress I helped build with my own two feet as a 6-year-old can be erased at will.”

South Carolina lawmakers held a rare Friday meeting to discuss a proposed new congressional map intended to allow Republicans a clean sweep of the state’s seven U.S. House seats.

The House hearing was the first step in redistricting. But its future remains murky. The state Senate has yet to agree to consider new districts later this month, an action that requires a two-thirds vote.

The new map has some Republicans nervous. Breaking up the 6th District, represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, makes the other six districts less Republican.

At Friday’s subcommittee meeting, lawmakers heard hours of testimony, almost all against the new map. The hearing included a consultant who reviewed the map, saying it appeared to be legal under the Supreme Court's decision in the Louisiana case.

“I agree if the law allows us to do it, then we can do It,” Democratic state Rep. Justin Bamberg said. “But I can slap somebody’s mama and it’s not the right thing to do.”

Some absentee ballots already have been returned for the state's June 9 primary elections. The legislative subcommittee advanced a plan to delay the congressional primary to August and reopen a candidate filing period, if a new map is approved.

Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina; Brook from Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Lieb from Jefferson City, Missouri. AP reporter Travis Loller contributed from Nashville, Tennessee.

A demonstrator holds up a sign outside the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala., on Thursday, May, 7 2026. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler)

Rep. Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis, speaks during a rally after a special session of the state legislature to redraw U.S. Congressional voting maps Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)