Voters in Hong Kong are heading to the polls to elect new lawmakers under China’s “patriots only” rules, though government efforts to drive turnout have been overshadowed by anger over the city’s handling of a major deadly fire .

Polls opened early on Sunday across the autonomous Chinese city to select 90 legislators, though only 20 of those seats are directly elected.

The election is only the second time since the city overhauled the electoral system to ensure that only those deemed “patriots” can run for office.

Political campaigning for the polls was abruptly paused in late November, after a blaze tore through the housing blocks of Wang Fuk Court in northern Hong Kong, killing at least 159 people.

Al Jazeera’s Laura Westbrook, reporting from Hong Kong, said “there had been some qu

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