About 2 million registered voters cast their ballots for the Legislative Council on Sunday, according to government data, in an election that could determine Hong Kong's future.

Voter turnout was at 58 percent, compared to 45.2 percent in 2008. Some of the polling stations saw voters still waiting to enter after the official closing time of 10:30 p.m. local time, according to the "South China Morning Post."

Nathan Law, one of the protest leaders in the 2014 Umbrella Revolution, appears to be one of the major winners in the election. The 23-year-old's party, Demosisto, which he formed with teen protest leader Joshua Wong (photo above, with image of Law), wants to see a referendum on "self-determination" of Hong Kong's future.

With 90 percent of ballots counted, Law was expected to win a seat in the Hong Kong Island constituency after receiving the second-highest number of votes.

A surprise winner in the traditionally conservative and pro-Beijing New Territories West was social activist Eddie Chu Hoi-dick, who took more than 70,000 votes. He is not affiliated with any party.

The race is being closely watched, with residents fearing they have gradually been losing their freedom to speak critically and openly about the governments in Hong Kong and mainland China following massive crackdowns on protests in recent years.

Full results are expected by late Monday local time.

(DW)