The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:

A regulation governing the procedures for conducting and supervising an election to elect members of the Legislative Council was gazetted today (Friday).

The provisions apply to geographical constituency (GC) elections, functional constituency (FC) elections, the Election Committee (EC) election, the EC subsector elections and nominations for the religious subsector on the EC.

The Electoral Affairs Commission (Electoral Procedure) (Legislative Council) Regulation was made by the Electoral Affairs Commission after considering public views expressed during a public consultation exercise last December on the proposed Guidelines on Election-related Activities, a spokesman for the Commission said.

"Detailed arrangements for different stages of an election before, during and after the poll are clearly laid down in the regulation to ensure that an election will be conducted honestly, fairly and openly," the spokesman said.

One of the major arrangements concerns three types of polling stations designated for the GCs, six special FCs and the EC.

The six special FCs are Urban Council, Regional Council, Heung Yee Kuk, Agriculture and Fisheries, Insurance and Transport.

"Having considered public representations, the Commission has decided to provide one-stop polling service to every elector/authorised representative no matter whether he is entitled to one, two or three votes," he said.

"Except for a small number of electors who are entitled to vote in the six special FCs and the EC, the majority of the electors can cast their votes at a polling station near their homes," he added.

"In order to safeguard the secrecy of voting, a new measure will be adopted in the May elections," the spokesman said.

An envelope will be given to electors to conceal their choice of candidates on the ballot papers where the number of such ballot papers to be issued at a particular polling station is so few that they will be easily identifiable.

These ballot papers will be taken out from the envelopes only after envelopes from two or more polling stations have been mixed together during the counting of votes.

Other main features of the regulation relate to:

* the nomination of candidates and the appointment of agents to help them in an election;

* the monitoring of election advertisements and the checking of election expenses;

* the designation of a "no canvassing zone" outside each polling station;

* functions to be performed by various electoral officers;

* procedures to deal with ballot boxes and ballot papers; and

* the counting of votes at a central counting station.

Arrangements to make it easier for the disabled to vote are also set out in the regulation.

A physically handicapped elector may apply to the Chief Electoral Officer at least five days before the polling day to vote at a special polling station. A template may be provided to help a blind elector mark his ballot paper on his own.

The regulation will be tabled at the Provisional Legislative Council next Wednesday (January 21) and will take effect on the same day.