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Forty-four electors (0.70%) voted in the first hour of the Wan Chai District Council Canal Road constituency by-election, which started at 7.30am today (June 21). (The voter turnout figures are only for temporary reference.)
A polling station, located at the Scout Association of Hong Kong--Hong Kong Island Region, Tang Shiu Kin Building, 34 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai, opens until 10.30pm today for 6,244 registered electors in the constituency to cast their votes.
A dedicated polling station at the Happy Valley Police Station, 60 Sing Woo Road, Happy Valley is set up for electors in Canal Road constituency who are remanded or detained by law enforcement agencies (other than the Correctional Services Department) to cast their ballots. This polling station opens from 7.30am to 10.30pm.
As there are male electors in the constituency who are remanded in the Correctional Services Department¡¦s custody, a dedicated polling station located at the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, 5 Butterfly Valley Road, Kowloon opens for them to cast their votes. In view of security concerns, the polling hours of this polling station are from 9am to 4pm.
The reserved polling station at the Tai Lam Centre for Women does not open as there are no female electors in the constituency remanded in the Correctional Services Department¡¦s custody.
Electors of Canal Road 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 the designated dedicated polling stations to vote.
The Electoral Affairs Commission Chairman Mr Justice Pang Kin-kee and member Mr Lawrence Lok Ying-kam, SC, will inspect the polling stations this morning.
The two candidates contesting the by-election are: No. 1, Kwai Sze-kit; and No. 2, Chung Ka-man Jacqueline.
¡§Electors are advised to cast their votes as early as possible,¡¨ a spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office said.
¡§Voting is very simple. It takes only a few minutes.¡¨
¡§All electors need to do is to take their identity document to 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,¡¨ he said.
The polling station at the Scout Association of Hong Kong--Hong Kong Island Region will be converted into a counting station once the poll is closed. People are welcome to watch the counting of votes in the designated area in the counting station.
Ballot boxes of the dedicated polling stations will be delivered to the main counting station at the Scout Association of Hong Kong--Hong Kong Island Region after the close of poll for counting.
The Returning Officer will announce the election results at the counting station at the Scout Association of Hong Kong--Hong Kong Island Region.
An election hotline, 2891 1001, will operate until 11pm to answer enquiries relating to the by-election.
A complaint hotline, 2827 7251, will be in service until 10.30pm to handle complaints about breaches of electoral rules and guidelines.
Ends/Sunday, June 21, 2009
Issued at HKT 08:55
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