The 2021 provisional registers of electors and omissions lists for geographical constituencies (GCs) and functional constituencies (FCs) will be released on September 26. The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) appeals to members of the public to log in to the Online Voter Information Enquiry System (OVIES) (www.voterinfo.gov.hk) to check their own latest registration particulars and whether they are listed on the omissions lists. Members of the public may also call the REO hotline on 2891 1001 during office hours to check the abovementioned information. For enquiries, they should inform the REO on or before October 9.

     The 2021 provisional register for GCs contains about 4 467 400 registered electors, representing a net increase of about 400 electors compared to last year's figure. The REO has received about 83 000 new registration applications and about 702 500 applications for updating particulars from registered electors of GCs. Moreover, the electoral records of about 38 900 and about 42 200 electors have been deleted by being listed on the omissions list due to death and as a result of the inquiry process respectively. As for FCs, the 2021 provisional register for FCs contains about 218 900 registered electors, which has taken into account the newly registered electors, electors who have changed the FC they are registered in, electors listed on the omissions lists due to death or as a result of the inquiry process, and electors originally registered in FCs which have been deleted.

Compilation of provisional registers of electors and omissions lists for GCs and FCs

     The Improving Electoral System (Consolidated Amendments) Ordinance 2021 (the Ordinance) has been published in the Gazette and came into effect on May 31. The delineation of the GCs for the 2021 Legislative Council General Election also came into effect on the same day. In accordance with the Legislative Council Ordinance (Cap. 542) as amended by the Ordinance, Hong Kong is divided into 10 GCs. They are Hong Kong Island East (comprising Eastern District and Wan Chai District), Hong Kong Island West (comprising Central and Western District, Southern District and Islands District), Kowloon East (comprising Kwun Tong District and south-eastern part of Wong Tai Sin District), Kowloon West (comprising Yau Tsim Mong District and Sham Shui Po District), Kowloon Central (comprising Kowloon City District and north-western part of Wong Tai Sin District), New Territories South East (comprising Sai Kung District and eastern part of Sha Tin District), New Territories North (comprising North District and north-western part of Yuen Long District), New Territories North West (comprising Tuen Mun District and south-eastern part of Yuen Long District), New Territories South West (comprising Kwai Tsing District and Tsuen Wan District) and New Territories North East (comprising Tai Po District and western part of Sha Tin District).

     The REO has re-allocated electors to the 10 GCs based on their registered residential address. Electors may check their updated particulars by logging in to the OVIES.

     The Ordinance has also amended the composition and electorates of the 28 FCs. To allow individuals and bodies whose eligibility is affected and those who are newly eligible to handle their voter registration (VR) matters, the REO has already put in place special VR arrangements from June 1 to July 5. Eligible individuals and bodies who submitted registration applications during the said period, together with existing FC electors who continue to be eligible, will be included in the provisional register for FCs.

     "On the other hand, an individual/corporate elector would be listed on the omissions list if they are no longer eligible after the registration eligibility of their original FC has been changed by the Ordinance. Also, if an individual/corporate elector was originally registered in an FC which has been deleted, including the District Council (First), District Council (Second) and Information Technology FCs, the elector's registration in the FC would also be deleted, and they would not be listed on the omissions list," a spokesman for the REO said today (September 23).

     "The REO will issue written registration notices by post after the completion of processing the applications for new voter registration. In addition to written registration notices, electors who have applied for the change in registration particulars will also be notified by SMS/email (if the electors have provided such information) that their registration particulars have been updated," a spokesman for the REO said.

Electors should reply to reminding letters if requested

     For electors who have been listed on the omissions lists, if they received a reminding letter from the REO requesting them to reply, they should submit the reply slip or provide supplementary information as instructed as early as possible. The envelopes of the reminding letters are beige in colour and printed with a red reminder message, "Immediate action required. Your voting right is at stake." The letter seeks to remind the recipients to reply on or before October 9 so that they can resume their voter registration. Upon approval by the Revising Officer, their registration particulars will be included in the final register.

     The spokesman reminded members of the public/registered electors that if they receive registration notices, SMS or emails from the REO regarding applications for new voter registration or the change in registration particulars but they have not made such applications, they should return the registration notices to the REO and inform the REO for its follow-up. In addition, if members of the public receive letters issued by the REO and find that the addressee does not live in that place, they should write "no such person" on the envelopes and promptly return the letters to the REO via the Hongkong Post. Alternatively, the public may also inform the REO by sending a photo of the letters to reoenq@reo.gov.hk for its follow-up.

Lodging statutory claims and objections

     Anyone who has applied to be registered as an elector but does not find his or her name in the relevant provisional register, or who finds his or her particulars incorrectly recorded, may lodge a claim in person with the REO. On the other hand, if anyone considers that a registered person is not eligible to be registered, he or she may also lodge an objection in person with the REO. The statutory period for lodging claims and objection starts on September 26 (Sunday) and ends on October 9 (Saturday).

     The specified forms of claims and objections can be dowloaded from the REO website (www.reo.gov.hk/en/voter/appeal.htm) or obtained from the REO (10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, or 13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon) and all Home Affairs Enquiry Centres during the aforementioned claims and objections period.

     "For the claims and objections this time, special arrangements will be made by the REO to open its two offices located on 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, and 13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademark Drive, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon respectively, to receive the applications for claims and objections from 9am to 6pm on each day during the claims and objections period from September 26 (Sunday) to October 9 (Saturday) (including Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays). In accordance with the Ordinance, as a special arrangement in 2021, all claims and objections cases will be considered by the Revising Officer on the basis of written submissions. No hearings will be arranged, " the spokesman said.

     "Moreover, after a Revising Officer has made a ruling on the claims and objection cases, if a claimant, objector or person being objected is not satisfied and wishes to apply for reviewing the relevant ruling, he/she must deliver in person the duly completed application form to the office of the Registry for Appeals to Revising Officer during ordinary business hours (from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays) on or before the statutory deadline of October 23. The address of the Registry is 13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademark Drive, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon. Since October 23 (Saturday) does not fall within ordinary business hours, special arrangements will be made by the Registry to open its office to receive the application forms from claimants, objectors/persons being objected from 9am to 6pm on that day."

Arrangements for inspection of provisional register of electors and omissions lists

     The provisional registers for GCs, FCs and respective omissions lists will be made available for inspection by specified parties from September 26 (Sunday) to October 9 (Saturday) at the two abovementioned offices of the REO. According to the judgment handed down by the Court of Appeal on May 21, 2020, and the order made at the hearing on May 27, 2020 (Case No.: CACV 73/2020), the abovementioned registers for GCs and FCs and omissions lists are made available for inspection from 9am to 6pm from September 26 to October 9 at the aforesaid two offices by members of the press (the REO adopts the list of subscribers of the Government News and Media Information System) and political parties (i.e. political bodies/organisations which meet the specified requirements). As for the parts of the provisional registers and omissions list for FCs which do not show the linked information of individual electors (i.e. their names and principal residential addresses), they are available for public inspection during the same period and at the same locations.

     The REO will provide four inspection time slots (one hour and 30 minutes for each time slot) on each day during the period from September 26 to October 9. Eligible organisations/persons/members of the public may make appointments for inspection on a first-come, first-served basis. Each eligible organisation/person/member of the public may reserve one time slot per day. Applicants may make appointments to inspect the registers and the omissions lists by calling 2891 4082/2891 2070 starting from tomorrow (September 24) (9am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 6pm). Upon the completion of the initial reservation by phone, applicants are required to fill in and return a reservation form to the REO by a specified deadline to confirm the reservation.

Other information

     Statistical information about the provisional registers of electors will be available on the voter registration website (www.voterregistration.gov.hk) starting from September 26.

     The REO will publish the final registers of electors for GCs and FCs on or before October 29, 2021.

Ends/Thursday, September 23, 2021
Issued at HKT 18:18

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