The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government announced on July 31, 2020 that amid the severe COVID-19 epidemic outbreak in early July, the Chief Executive in Council decided to postpone the 2020 Legislative Council (LegCo) General Election, originally scheduled for September 6, 2020, for a year to September 5, 2021. 

Hong Kong is experiencing a renewed wave of COVID-19 outbreaks, with the number of confirmed cases since July more than doubling the cumulative caseload over the preceding six-month period.  The HKSAR Government noted that holding the election in early September for 4.4 million registered voters casting ballots at a limited number of polling stations in a highly dense city would pose a risk of community infection.  It also noted that the stringent boundary control measures currently in force make it challenging for registered Hong Kong voters who are away from the city to return to cast their votes.

The outbreak has also made it difficult for candidates to carry out meaningful rallying activities as current electoral laws in Hong Kong do not allow broadcasting and publishing of political advertisements in the media. 

The term of the current sixth term LegCo will be extended for not less than one year.  After which, the seventh term LegCo will be formed in accordance with the law, and its term of office remains to be four years.