Hong Kong democracy poll closes at nearly 800,000 votes

Polls in an unofficial vote on electoral reform in Hong Kong closed Sunday with almost 800,000 taking part, a quarter of 2012 registered voters. The ballot was dismissed by Chinese state media as “an illegal farce.” The referendum, partly online and partly at physical ballot boxes, offered voters options on how the next chief executive should be chosen. China has promised universal suffrage by 2017 but has ruled out voters choosing candidates. Democracy advocates fear only those sympathetic to Beijing will be allowed to run. The chief executive is currently selected by a 1,200-strong pro-Beijing committee.

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