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The 2013 Voter Registration campaign was launched today (April 1). Eligible persons who have yet to register as electors are reminded to sign up before the registration deadline on May 16.
"Hong Kong permanent residents holding an identity document who have reached the age of 18 years and are ordinarily residing in Hong Kong are eligible to be registered as electors," a spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) said today.
"Registered electors are not required to register again, but they are reminded to fulfil their civic responsibility by notifying the REO of any change in residential address or other registration particulars by June 29."
To ensure the accuracy of the registered particulars in the voter registers, the REO implemented a series of checking measures in the voter registration cycle last year. The names of some electors who failed to respond to the REO's inquiry letters by the statutory deadline were removed from the 2012 final register.
"We particularly call on these people to submit the completed voter registration forms to the REO by May 16. As long as they meet the legal requirements for voter registration, they can register as electors again.
"Those who are not certain of their voter registration status can either call the REO hotline 2891 1001, or check the existing 2012 final register at the REO or the relevant District Offices to ascertain whether they are still registered electors," the spokesman said.
To address the situation of registered electors who forget to update their residential address after moving home, enhanced publicity measures will be rolled out in the 2013 voter registration cycle by the REO to remind the electors to fulfil their civic responsibility by reporting their new residential address in a timely manner after moving.
In addition to rolling out a new series of Announcements in the Public Interest (APIs) on television and radio today, other promotional efforts include inserting promotional leaflets with water bills sent to about 2.7 million households; a series of five one-minute special programmes on television; placing advertisements in newspapers and on popular websites; and issuing appeal letters to households which have moved to newly developed private residential buildings to remind them to report their new residential address or apply for registration. The REO has also set up registration counters at the five Registration of Persons Offices of the Immigration Department to facilitate and encourage young people applying for or collecting adult identity cards at those offices to register as electors.
To protect the environment, the REO encourages electors to provide or update their email addresses for receiving electoral messages.
Forms for voter registration and reporting changes in registration particulars can be obtained from the REO, the District Offices and management offices of public housing estates. They can also be downloaded from the voter registration website (www.voterregistration.gov.hk).
Completed forms can be submitted by mail to the REO on 10/F, Guardian House, 32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai, or by fax to 2891 1180.
Enquiries can be made to the REO hotline.
Ends/Monday, April 1, 2013
Issued at HKT 10:29
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