Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has charged two men accused of urging others on social media to boycott and cast blank votes in last year’s legislative elections.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), which oversees Hong Kong’s election legislation, said in a Monday statement that the two men, aged 38 and 63, were charged with alleged breaches of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance.

The pair, both security guards, have been released on bail and are scheduled to appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday.

Ramirez Lam, 38, faces one count of engaging in illegal conduct to incite another person to cast an invalid vote during an election period, while Wong Wah-kwong, 63, faces one count of engaging in illegal conduct to incite another person not to vote.

Their posts were made last year, between October 24, when the nomination period commenced, and December 7, the polling day, the ICAC said.

Lam is accused of leaving a comment on a media outlet’s social media post to incite an invalid vote at the election. The post was a news report on security chief Chris Tang’s remarks that it is an offence to incite people not to vote or cast an invalid vote.

Wong shared a post by wanted overseas-based activist Alan Keung on social media, calling on people not to vote.

Keung himself faces two charges under the elections ordinance for inciting people not to vote. The activist, who also has a HK$200,000 bounty on his head for a separate national security allegation, called for a boycott of what he described as a “fake election.”

The ICAC charged three people accused of sharing posts made by Keung and another overseas activist, Tong Wai-kung, in November.

One Hong Kong woman, 61-year-old housewife Bonney Ma, was given an 18-month suspended jail sentence last month. The two other defendants are scheduled to appear in court in May.

The 2025 “patriots only” legislative polls took place on December 7, days after the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire. The 31.9 per cent turnout – a slight increase compared with the 2021 polls – was the second lowest on record.

The number of registered voters was down compared to 2021, with 32,998 fewer Hongkongers casting a ballot than in 2021, and a record 3.12 per cent of invalid votes were cast.