In 2014, Chow collaborated with student organizations to advocate electoral reform in Hong Kong. Chow was a leader of the class boycott campaign against the restrictive electoral framework set by the National People's Congress Standing Committee for the 2017 Chief Executive election, which led to the massive Occupy protests dubbed the "Umbrella Revolution". During the protests, citing heavy political pressure, Chow stepped away from politics, including resigning as spokesperson of Scholarism.