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Electors of the Islands District Council Peng Chau and Hei Ling Chau Constituency are urged to vote in the by-election in their constituency tomorrow (September 7).
A polling station, located at Peng Chau Sports Centre, Peng Chau Municipal Services Building, 6 Po Peng Street, Peng Chau, New Territories, will be open to electors from 7.30am to 10.30pm.
"Voting is very simple. It just takes a few minutes to vote," a spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office said today (September 6).
"All electors need to do is to show their identity document at the polling station where they will be issued a ballot paper, use the chop provided to stamp a tick on the ballot paper 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.
For electors of the Peng Chau and Hei Ling Chau Constituency who are remanded or detained by law enforcement agencies other than the Correctional Services Department (CSD) on the polling day of the by-election, and who have expressed their wish to vote in the by-election, arrangements have been made for them to vote at the dedicated polling station located at the Marine South Division of the Hong Kong Police Force, 28 Shum Wan Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong. The voting procedure and the venue set-up at the dedicated polling station are basically the same as those of the ordinary polling station. The polling hours will be from 7.30am to 10.30pm.
As no elector of the Peng Chau and Hei Ling Chau Constituency is imprisoned or remanded in the CSD's custody, there is no need to set up dedicated polling stations in penal institutions in the by-election.
The spokesman reminded people that according to the law, the polling stations are restricted areas accessible only by electors and authorised people.
"Unauthorised people are strictly prohibited from using mobile phones, taking photographs, filming, and making video or audio recordings in the polling stations," he said.
Enquiries about the by-election can be made to the election hotline at 2891 1001, which will operate from 7am to 11pm tomorrow.
A complaints hotline, 2827 7251, will also be in service from 7.30am to 11pm tomorrow to handle complaints about breaches of electoral rules and guidelines.
Once the poll is closed, the polling station at Peng Chau Sports Centre will be converted into a counting station. People are welcome to watch the vote counting within the designated area at the counting station.
To protect the secrecy of votes, the ballot boxes of the dedicated polling station will be delivered to the main counting station at Peng Chau Sports Centre for opening after the close of polling. The ballot papers concerned will be mixed with the ballot papers cast at the main counting station before counting of votes begins.
"The Returning Officer will declare the election results at the counting station at Peng Chau Sports Centre," the spokesman said.
The three candidates contesting the by-election are Chan Chi-lin (No. 1), Tsang Sau-ho Josephine (No. 2) and Wong Chi-lam (No. 3).
The elected candidate will fill the vacant office for an elected member of the Islands District Council.
Ends/Saturday, September 6, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:06
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