In a stunning sign of support for the protests that have roiled Hong Kong this year, more than half of the 452 seats in Sunday’s local district council elections flipped from pro-Beijing to pro-democracy candidates.

The districts that flipped from pro-Beijing to pro-democracy were spread throughout the city, from dense urban centers to the more rural areas in the New Territories.

Voter turnout was the highest since Hong Kong began holding district council elections in 1999.

This was the first time that every seat in a district council election had candidates from at least two opposing parties. During the last election cycle, in 2015, 68 candidates ran unopposed.

This year also set a record, with 4 million registered voters, 390,000 of whom were newly registered.

Many district council candidates who had actively participated in recent protests won, suggesting that popular support for the pro-democracy movement has solidified. Some had been targeted in attacks. Others had been caught up in violent clashes during protests, with some even arrested and charged.

While most of these elected officials’ responsibilities are limited to their districts, the victory by the pro-democracy candidates could allow them to play a bigger role in shaping the government in the future. These district council members are eligible to be elected to six seats in the Legislative Council, and will control 117 votes in the 1,200-member committee that chooses Hong Kong’s chief executive.