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Counting of votes for District Council Election completed smoothly (with photos)
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The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:

     The counting of more than 1.14 million ballot papers from 364 constituencies in the 2007 District Council Election was completed at 4.10am today (November 19).

     The vote-counting process took about five hours to complete after polling ended last night (November 18). This was faster than that in the 2003 District Council election, when counting was completed about six hours after polls closed.

     The first result came out at 12.37am this morning.

     Speaking at a press conference after the conclusion of the election, the Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, Mr Justice Pang Kin-kee, said, "A preliminary analysis attributed the relatively smooth process to the polling-cum-counting station arrangements, small number of questionable ballots and well-trained counting staff."

     "I consider the counting of votes efficient and I am satisfied with the overall electoral arrangements," he said.

     The Commission will review various electoral arrangements and study how to improve them further. A report will be submitted to the Chief Executive on matters relating to the election within the next three months.

     The Commission thanked the 13,000 polling and counting staff and various Government departments involved in the election, especially the Registration and Electoral Office, for serving electors and candidates as well as helping to make electoral arrangements smooth. The Commission also thanked all the electors, candidates and agents for their support and co-operation in bringing about open, honest and fair polls for the election.

     On the polling day alone, the Commission, 18 Returning Officers and 488 Presiding Officers in charge of polling stations handled about 2,000 election-related complaints. Most of them were about election advertisements, illegal canvassing in no canvassing zones outside polling stations and causing nuisances and disturbance to electors.

Ends/Monday, November 19, 2007
Issued at HKT 06:34

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