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24 electors (0.48%) voted in the first hour of the Southern District Council Pokfulam constituency by-election, which started at 7.30am today (September 5). (The voter turnout figures are only for temporary reference.)
Three polling stations are open until 10.30pm today for 5,021 registered electors in the constituency to cast their ballots. They are located at the Caritas Wu Cheng-chung Secondary School, 8 Northcote Close, Pokfulam; the playground of Upper Baguio Villa, Baguio Villa, 555 Victoria Road, Pokfulam; and Cyberport Post Office, Shops 5-8, Level 1, Service Annex, Cyberport, 100 Cyberport Road.
A dedicated polling station is set up at the Happy Valley Police Station, 60 Sing Woo Road, Happy Valley for electors in Pokfulam constituency who are remanded or detained by law enforcement agencies (other than the Correctional Services Department) to cast their votes. The polling hours are from 7.30am to 10.30pm.
As there are no electors in the constituency imprisoned or remanded in the Correctional Services Department's custody, the reserve dedicated polling stations in penal institutions will not open.
The Electoral Affairs Commission Chairman Mr Justice Barnabas Fung Wah 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, Lau Ying-tung; and No. 2, Paulus Johannes Zimmerman.
"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 stations at the Caritas Wu Cheng-chung Secondary School, the playground of Upper Baguio Villa and Cyberport Post Office will be converted into counting stations once the poll is closed. People are welcome to watch the counting of votes within the designated area in the counting stations.
Ballot boxes of the dedicated polling station[s] will be delivered to the main counting station at the Caritas Wu Cheng-chung Secondary School after the close of poll for counting.
The Returning Officer will announce the election results at the counting station at the Caritas Wu Cheng-chung Secondary School.
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, September 5, 2010
Issued at HKT 08:58
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