2022 provisional registers of electors/voters and omissions lists for geographical/functional constituencies and Election Committee subsectors released today
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Compilation of provisional registers of electors/voters and omissions lists
The 2022 provisional register for GCs contains about 4 418 400 registered electors. In the 2022 Voter Registration cycle, there are about 35 800 new registration applications and about 774 900 applications for updating particulars from registered electors of GCs. Moreover, the electoral records of about 27 600 and about 59 800 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 provisional register contains about 214 600 registered electors, which has taken into account the newly registered electors, electors who have changed the FC they are registered in and electors listed on the omissions lists due to death or as a result of the inquiry process.
As for ECSSs, the provisional register contains about 7 975 registered voters, which has taken into account the newly registered voters, voters who have changed the ECSS they are registered in and voters listed on the omissions lists due to death or as a result of the inquiry process.
"The REO will issue written registration notices to electors/voters by post after the completion of processing the applications for new registration. In addition to written registration notices, electors/voters 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/voters should reply to reminding letters if requested
For electors/voters who have been listed on the omissions lists, if they receive 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 August 25 according to the letter's instructions so that they can resume their registration as electors/voters. Upon approval by the Revising Officer, their registration particulars will be included in the final register of electors/voters.
The spokesman reminded members of the public/registered electors/voters 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 return the letters to the REO via 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
Any electors/voters on the omissions lists, or any individuals/bodies who has applied for registration as an elector/voter but does not find his or her name in the relevant provisional registers of electors/voters, or who finds his or her particulars incorrectly recorded, may lodge a claim in person with the REO. If anyone considers a registered individual/body not eligible to be registered, he or she may also lodge an objection in person with the REO. The statutory period for lodging claims or objections ends on August 25. The Revising Officer will then consider the evidence provided by the applicant and make a ruling in accordance with the legislation.
The specified forms for claims and objections can be downloaded 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.
To enhance transparency and assist the persons concerned and members of the public in attending the hearings, information on the hearings of the claims and objections will be uploaded to the REO website (www.reo.gov.hk/en/voter/appeal.htm) before the day of the hearing. Considering the pandemic situation, all persons attending the hearings are required to hold a valid Vaccine Pass and scan the venue QR code using the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile application (except for exempted persons).
Arrangements for inspection of provisional registers of electors/voters and omissions list
The provisional registers of electors/voters and omissions lists for GCs, FCs and ECSSs are available for inspection by specified persons until August 25 at the REO's two offices, located at 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, and 13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon.
According to the relevant regulations, only specified persons (i.e. bodies/organisations which meet the specified requirements and members of the press who are subscribers of the Government News and Media Information System) are allowed to inspect the copy of provisional registers and omissions lists of individual electors/voters for GCs, FCs and ECSSs. Only the first Chinese character of the name (if the person's name is recorded in Chinese) or the first word of the name (if the name of the person is recorded in English) of an individual elector/voter and his/her registered residential address and constituency/subsector is shown on the registers and omissions lists for inspection. A copy of the registers for FCs and ECSSs, which contains only the entries of corporate electors/voters, is available for inspection by the public.
The REO will provide four inspection time slots (one hour and 30 minutes for each time slot) on each working day (Mondays to Fridays, excluding public holidays) from today to August 25. Each specified person may make appointments for inspection on a first-come, first-served basis. Each specified person may reserve one time slot per day for inspection of the registers of electors/voters.
Applicants may make appointments to inspect the registers by calling 2891 4082/2891 2070 during the REO's ordinary business hours (9am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays, except public holidays). 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/voters is available on the voter registration website (www.voterregistration.gov.hk).
The REO will publish the final registers of electors/voters on or before September 25.
Ends/Monday, August 1, 2022
Issued at HKT 10:30
Issued at HKT 10:30
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