Almost 300,000 people took part in an unofficial Hong Kong vote on electoral reform today, a poll which China has condemned as fears grow that Beijing will backtrack on its promise of universal suffrage.
As of 8 pm local time (1200 GMT), eight hours after online polling opened, 298,268 people had taken part in the informal "civil referendum" which asks participants to choose between three methods to vote for Hong Kong's next leader in 2017.
Occupy Central, the local pro-democracy movement that organised the vote, which will be held over 10 days, said a high turnout would prove the city's determination to win "true" universal suffrage.
The number of participants is already set to outstrip expectations -- organisers had said before polls opened that they were hoping for 300,000 people to vote in total.
Under the "one country, two systems" agreement reached when Hong Kong was handed over from former colonial power Britain to Communist-ruled China in 1997, Hong Kong has guaranteed civil liberties not enjoyed on the mainland, including free speech and the right to protest.
The semi-autonomous city's leader, or chief executive, is currently appointed by a pro-Beijing committee.
China has promised direct elections for the next chief executive in 2017 -- but has ruled out allowing voters to choose which candidates can stand.
Many pro-democrats fear Beijing will handpick the candidates to ensure election of a sympathetic official.
"If we could get a good turnout, that shows that Hong Kong people are really determined to have true democracy," Benny Tai, one of Occupy Central's founders, said at a launch event for today's vote.
Polling will continue until June 29 and residents have so far cast their votes online and via smartphones. There are plans to open polling booths around the city on Sunday.
Chinese authorities said today that any referendum in Hong Kong on how to elect its leader would not have constitutional grounds and would be illegal and invalid, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Each of the three options in the unofficial vote allows residents to choose candidates for the top job -- something deemed unacceptable by the city's current leader Leung Chun-ying.
"All three options on the ballot are against the Basic Law," Leung said, referring to Hong Kong's constitution.
