Registration and Electoral Office follows up news reports on poll cards

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     A spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) said today (March 7) that the REO is following up recent news reports on complaints involving members of the public on Hong Kong Island who have received poll cards of electors not residing at their residences. For cases already followed up, according to preliminary information gathered and verification of address information by the REO so far, the poll cards have been delivered to the addresses concerned mainly owing to discrepancies in the floor information of the same building provided by electors in the voter registration application form. Also, some of the addresses are situated at older buildings and the way the addresses are expressed, in particular floor information, may be different. The REO will assist the electors to rectify their records of registered addresses as soon as possible. As the discrepancies of the above-mentioned addresses involve the same constituency, unless there is prima facie evidence that the provision of false information is involved, the registration and voting eligibility of the electors will not be affected.

     The REO urged the public that if they have received poll cards of electors not residing at their residences or come across suspicious cases, they should return the documents to the REO as soon as possible or provide specific information to the REO via its hotline (2891 1001) for the REO to follow up and verify the addresses.

     The REO again reminded electors that they may log in to the Online Voter Information Enquiry System (www.voterinfo.gov.hk) anytime to check whether their own registration particulars are correct or updating is required. They may also call the REO hotline on 2891 1001 for enquiries. Electors are reminded to fulfil their civic responsibility by notifying the REO as soon as possible of any changes in residential address or other registration particulars by April 2, the statutory deadline for change of registration particulars. Electors must provide clear and accurate information in reporting change of registration particulars. In addition, starting from February 1 this year, electors applying for change of registered address are required to submit address proof at the same time. This will facilitate the REO's verification of the accuracy of the electors' address information, thereby enhancing the accuracy of the registers of electors.

     The spokesman reiterated that the REO has been making every effort by various checking measures to ensure that information on the registers of electors is accurate. It is an offence for a person to knowingly or recklessly give false or incorrect information for voter registration to the REO. For suspected cases of false or incorrect statements in making voter registration, the REO will handle them strictly in accordance with the law, and refer such cases to the law enforcement agencies for follow-up as appropriate. It is an offence to vote at an election if the elector knows that he or she is not entitled to do so.

Ends/Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Issued at HKT 19:44

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