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Electors of the Sha Tin District Council Tai Wai constituency are urged to vote in the by-election in their constituency tomorrow (March 29).
Two ordinary polling stations will open to electors from 7.30am to 10.30pm tomorrow. They are located at the Buddhist Wong Wan Tin College, Mei Lam Estate, Tai Wai, Sha Tin, and the TWGHs Sin Chu Wan Primary School, 38 Chik Fuk Street, Tai Wai, Sha Tin.
ˇ§Special arrangements will be made to facilitate remanded persons and detainees, who are registered electors of Tai Wai Constituency, to cast their votes in the by-election,ˇ¨ a spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office said today (March 28).
Arrangements will be made for electors in Tai Wai Constituency who are remanded or detained by law enforcement agencies (other than the Correctional Services Department) to cast their votes at the dedicated polling station at the Tin Sum Police Station, 2 Hin Keng Street, Sha Tin. It will be open from 7.30am to 10.30pm tomorrow.
As there are male electors in the constituency who are remanded in the Correctional Services Departmentˇ¦s custody, a dedicated polling station located at the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, 5 Butterfly Valley Road, Kowloon will be open for them to cast their votes. In view of security concerns, this polling station will be open from 9am to 4pm.
The reserved polling station at the Tai Lam Centre for Women will not open as there are no female electors in the constituency remanded in the Correctional Services Departmentˇ¦s custody.
Electors of Tai Wai Constituency who are under remand or detention and express the wish to vote in the by-election will be escorted by the law enforcement agencies concerned to go to the dedicated polling stations to vote.
"Voting is very simple. It will take just a few minutes for electors to vote," the spokesman said.
"All electors need to do is to show their identity document at the polling station, use the chop provided to stamp the ballot paper with a 'tick' in the circle opposite the name of the chosen candidate, and fold the ballot paper inward in half before putting it into the ballot box.
ˇ§The voting procedure for electors and the venue set up at the dedicated polling stations is basically the same as that of the ordinary polling stations,ˇ¨ he said.
The spokesman reminded people that in accordance with the law, the polling stations were restricted areas accessible only to electors and authorised people.
Unauthorised people are strictly prohibited from using mobile phones, taking photographs, filming or making video or audio recordings in the polling stations.
An election hotline, 2891 1001, will be in service from 7am to 11pm tomorrow to answer enquiries relating to the by-election.
A complaints hotline, 2827 7251, will also operate during the polling hours (from 7.30am to 10.30pm tomorrow) to handle complaints about breaches of electoral rules and guidelines.
Once the poll is closed, the polling stations at the Buddhist Wong Wan Tin College and the TWGHs Sin Chu Wan Primary School will be turned into counting stations. People are welcome to observe the counting of votes in the designated area in the counting stations.
Ballot boxes of the dedicated polling stations will be delivered to the main counting station at the Buddhist Wong Wan Tin College after the close of poll for counting.
ˇ§The Returning Officer will announce the election results at the counting station at the Buddhist Wong Wan Tin College,ˇ¨ the spokesman said.
The five candidates contesting the by-election are: No. 1, Lee York-fai; No. 2, Leung Wing-hung; No. 3, Chau Chi-pong; No. 4, Yuen Kwai-choi; and No. 5, Chan Wai-man.
The elected candidate will fill a vacant seat in the Sha Tin District Council.
Ends/Saturday, March 28, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:30
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