**************************************************

Registered electors on Hong Kong Island are advised to read their poll card carefully to find out where to vote in the coming Legislative Council by-election on Sunday, December 10.

Ninety-four polling stations across the Hong Kong island will be open to 627,000 registered electors from 7.30 am to 10.30 pm on December 10. They may vote at a designated polling station near their home address as registered on the final register of electors.

A spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office said about 90 per cent of the electors may vote in the same polling station as in the previous general election in September.

"Nevertheless, because of school functions and some other reasons, eight old polling stations cannot be used this time.

"We have designated nine new places as polling stations for about 67,000 electors who last voted at another polling station in September. Nearly half of them will find their new polling station closer to their home," the spokesman said.

He urged the electors to take a look at their poll card to ensure that they go to the correct polling station.

The Registration and Electoral Office is sending every elector a poll card, a map of the designated polling station, a voting guide and a leaflet about clean election. Also included in the mail is a leaflet containing the photographs, personal particulars and platforms of the six candidates.

Any electors who do not receive this mail by the end of November are welcome to call the election hotline, 2891 1001, to make enquiries.

Out of the 94 polling stations, 31 are special polling stations accessible to electors having a disability. If disabled electors find that their designated polling station is not convenient enough, they may call the hotline, 2891 1001, no later than December 5 to apply for a change to a special polling station.

The list of polling stations and more details about arrangements for the by-election are available on the homepage, www.elections.gov.hk.

The by-election is to be held to fill a seat in the Hong Kong Island geographical constituency following the existence of a vacancy in the membership of the Legislative Council.

End/Sunday, November 26, 2000

NNNN