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The provisional registers of electors and omissions lists were released today (June 15) for public inspection until June 29.
"In accordance with the electoral laws, electors whose names are on the omissions lists and wish to reinstate their voter registration have to lodge claims in person or update their registered residential addresses by June 29 and have their claims approved by the Revising Officer. Otherwise, their names will not be included in the final registers of electors and they will not be eligible to vote in the Legislative Council Election to be held on September 9. If they are also electors of functional constituencies, the disqualification to be registered in the geographical constituency will lead to their disqualification to be so registered in the functional constituencies as well," a spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) said today.
"Anyone who has applied to be registered as an elector but does not find his name in the relevant register, or who finds his particulars incorrectly recorded, may also lodge a claim in person with the REO.
"If anyone considers that a person is not eligible to be registered, he may lodge an objection in person with the REO," he said.
"The deadline for lodging a claim or objection is June 29. The Revising Officer will consider the evidence provided by the applicant to rule in accordance with the legislation," the spokesman said.
Specified forms for claims and objections can be obtained from the REO (10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, or 10/F, Guardian House, 32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai) or all District Offices. They can also be downloaded from the REO website (www.reo.gov.hk/en/voter/application.htm).
To enable electors to check whether their names are listed in the provisional registers or the omissions lists, the REO hotline (2891 1001) has extended its service hours from today until June 29. It will operate between 9am and 8pm from Monday to Friday.
The spokesman reminded registered electors that it is their civic duty to report any changes in residential addresses or other registration particulars to the REO by June 29 so that the REO can update their records accordingly.
To enhance the accuracy of the information recorded in the registers of electors, the REO had earlier issued inquiry letters to about 290 000 electors requesting them to confirm whether their addresses as recorded in the current final register of electors are their principal residential addresses.
Up till the deadline on May 16, about 230 000 electors had not responded to the inquiry letters or did not provide the REO with adequate information. The REO has therefore in accordance with the relevant electoral laws removed these electors from the registers of electors and put them onto the omissions lists.
"To avoid the electors concerned from losing their voting right inadvertently, the REO has mailed a reminder letter to these electors this week. If they wish to reinstate their voter registration, they should lodge a claim or update their registered residential addresses by June 29," the spokesman said.
To promote public awareness of the release of the provisional registers and the omissions lists as well as the arrangements for updating voter registration particulars, a publicity campaign has been rolled out which includes a radio Announcement in the Public Interest, a poster, newspaper advertisements, a banner advertisement on the GovHK website and an advertisement in MTR train compartments.
More than 3.45 million registered electors are contained in the 2012 provisional register for geographical constituencies, after taking into account about 147 000 who are newly registered, and putting the names of about 255 000 electors, who had not reported their latest residential addresses or had passed away, onto the omissions list. When compared to the figures in 2011, there is a net decrease of about 108 000 electors for geographical constituencies. In addition, as of today, about 260 000 electors have updated their registered addresses with the REO.
The number of registered electors for functional constituencies (other than the District Council (second) functional constituency) in the 2012 provisional register is about 240 000, after taking into account about 18 000 newly registered, and about 21 000 electors put onto the omissions list. When compared to 2011, there is a net decrease of about 3 000 electors.
The number of registered electors for the District Council (second) functional constituency in the 2012 provisional register is about 3.21 million.
Statistical information about the provisional registers is available at the voter registration website (www.voterregistration.gov.hk).
For the geographical constituencies and the District Council (second) functional constituency, full copies of the provisional registers can be inspected during business hours (i.e. Monday to Friday, from 9am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 6pm) at the REO at 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. The relevant section of the registers pertinent to a particular district is available for public inspection at the respective District Office during their business hours. As regards the geographical constituencies omissions list, full copies are available for public inspection at the REO's Harbour Centre office and various District Offices.
For functional constituencies (other than the District Council (second) functional constituency) and Election Committee subsectors, full copies of the provisional registers and omissions lists are available during business hours (i.e. Monday to Friday, from 9am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 6pm) for public inspection at the REO's Harbour Centre office and its office at 10/F, Guardian House, 32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai. They can also be inspected at the District Offices in Central, Mong Kok, Kwun Tong, Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan.
"The text-format provisional registers and omissions lists with the existing sorting sequence by the names of the electors are available for public inspection. In addition, another set of the provisional register for geographical constituencies with sorting sequence by the principal residential addresses of the electors is also made ready for inspection," the spokesman said.
The final registers of electors will be published on or before July 25.
Ends/Friday, June 15, 2012
Issued at HKT 16:54
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