According to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the method for selecting the region's chief executive shall be specified gradually and in an orderly fashion. The ultimate aim is the selection of the chief executive by universal suffrage upon nomination by a broadly representative nominating committee in accordance with democratic procedures, meaning only the nominating committee has the right to nominate.

The committee shall be composed of 1,200 members from four major sectors in Hong Kong, namely industrial, commercial and financial sectors; professions; labor and social services; religious and other sectors.

In 2007, China’s 10th National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee made the decision that the 2017 chief executive election may be implemented by universal suffrage. The regional government then conducted a public consultation on the election method from December 2013 to May 2014. Issues on achieving universal suffrage became the focal point of public debates. Some people hoped that not only the nominating committee, but also individuals and parties, could nominate candidates. But that goes against the Basic Law.

On August 31, 2014, the NPC Standing Committee decided that the nominating committee should select two or three candidates, which was rejected by Hong Kong's Legislative Council in June 2015.

As a result, the election in 2017 continues with the method where 1,200 election committee members vote.