Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yung and a written reply by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, in the Legislative Council today (October 15):
 
Question:
 
     Regarding the 2025 Legislative Council General Election (LCGE), will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the preparations for the 2025 LCGE, including the key stages of work, current progress and subsequent material junctures;
 
(2) of the specific new measures the Government has put in place to promote the 2025 LCGE, and of the progress of preparation and expected outcomes of the relevant publicity work;
 
(3) of the measures the Government has put in place to provide further convenience to electors, so as to enhance their voting desire and improve their voting experience;
 
(4) in respect of the application of technologies, whether the Government has plans to introduce more technology initiatives in public elections to further improve electoral processes and efficiency; if so, of the current progress of the study on this front; and
 
(5) given that during the 2023 District Council Ordinary Election, the Government had encouraged civil servants to duly fulfil their civic responsibilities and vote on polling day through various activities, how the Government will further encourage civil servants to actively participate in voting during the 2025 LCGE so as to set a good example in society?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The 2025 Legislative Council General Election (LCGE) will be held on December 7 to return 90 members of the eighth term Legislative Council (LegCo). The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government attaches great importance to the LegCo election as it is directly related to the steadfast and successful implementation of "one country, two systems" and to the good governance and long-term stability of the HKSAR. 
 
     Having consulted the Civil Service Bureau, a consolidated reply in response to the various questions raised by the Hon Chan Yung is as follows:
 
     The preparations for the LCGE are currently in full swing. The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) is actively undertaking a wide range of tasks, including the deployment of electoral staff, provision of training and drills for electoral staff, conduct of multiple rounds of testing for election information technology systems, set up polling stations, formulation of security and contingency plans, to ensure that the election will be smoothly conducted in a fair, just, honest, safe and orderly, efficient and user-friendly manner.
 
     The nomination period will run from October 24 to November 6. The REO had made appropriate arrangements and is ready to receive and process nomination forms. Upon the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee's confirmation of the eligibility of candidates, the REO will hold a briefing session for candidates to explain the polling and counting arrangements. The REO will send poll cards, Introduction to Candidates and related materials to electors and authorised representatives before the end of November, with a view to notifying them of their assigned polling station for casting their votes and enabling electors to gain a better understanding of the candidates concerned.
 
     To facilitate electors in casting their votes and enhance their voting experience, the REO will continue adopting the combined voting arrangement to allow electors to cast all their votes at the same polling station. In general, the REO will assign electors to vote at the polling station within their constituency and close to their registered residential address. Other facilitation measures for voting include:
 
(i) the REO will set up Near Boundary Polling Stations to facilitate electors who need to travel to and from the Mainland on the polling day. Prior registration will be made for electors who choose to vote at these polling stations;

(ii) besides the poll card, electors may access the Online Voter Information Enquiry System (OVIES) to view their registration details, assigned polling station and location map, and Introduction to Candidates, etc.;

(iii) a special queue will be set up for individuals in need (viz. persons aged 70 or above, pregnant women, and persons who are unable to queue for a long time due to physical conditions), who will have priority to obtain their ballot papers. A seating area will also be provided in the polling station for these electors to take rest while waiting; and

(iv) over 90 per cent of polling stations will be set up at venues with barrier-free access. If electors who have mobility difficulties or need to use wheelchair are allocated to inaccessible polling stations, they may apply to the REO at least five days before the polling day for re-allocation to a polling station set up at an accessible venue within the same geographical constituency. Where necessary, the REO will also assist in contacting the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation for arranging Rehabuses to transport them to and from polling stations.
 
     The HKSAR Government has been striving to enhance the various electoral procedures and arrangements. We will, in light of the actual circumstances and needs, take holistic consideration of such factors as the application of technology, enhancement of efficiency, safety and security, privacy protection and public perception, etc, in introducing the wider use of information and smart technologies. The REO will:

(i) introduce the electronic counting system for the functional constituency election to facilitate vote counting, with a view to enhancing the speed, efficiency and achieving the target to reduce manpower in the long run;

(ii) upgrade the OVIES to support electors' login via "iAM Smart" for viewing their assigned polling station and its location map, Introduction to Candidates, etc;

(iii) digitalise most election-related forms, which allows candidates to use the electronic filling function and submit through the online platform, such as electoral forms for authorising/appointing various types of agents and forms relating to election advertisements; and

(iv) provide a new option of paying election deposits via the Faster Payment System, while candidates may continue to use cash, cashier's order or cheque for payment.
 
     The Government is promoting the election through diverse activities and channels to enhance the public's understanding of the election and encourage them to vote actively. Specific promotional activities include organising community interactive activities (such as roving exhibitions and game booths, etc), placing outdoor and transport advertisements (such as large outdoor advertisements on external walls of buildings and streets, as well as MTR and bus lightbox advertising, etc), launching promotion through traditional and social media platforms (such as radio, television, Facebook and Instagram, etc), and conducting other large-scale events such as a seminar and variety show, etc. In addition, the Government is reaching out to the community with a novel and down-to-earth approach. For example, the installation of the election mascots Ballot Box Family at various locations across the territory is combined with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies to invite the public to interact, take photos and upload them to the social media. At the same time, the Government will co-ordinate the promotional efforts for the election and the National Games to create synergetic publicity effect.
 
     As a key component of the HKSAR Government's governance system, civil servants shoulder the responsibility of fully implementing "one country, two systems" and supporting the governance of the HKSAR Government. Civil servants should take the lead in society and set an example by fulfilling their civic responsibility to vote. A large number of civil servants have been engaged in election-related work, from preparation, polling to counting, who have made concerted efforts to ensure the smooth completion of every task. During the 2023 District Council Ordinary Election, the HKSAR Government appealed to all civil servants as well as electors in Hong Kong to actively cast their votes through various publicity channels, such as writing to civil servants, distributing promotional leaflets to departmental offices, publishing posts/videos on social media platforms, holding events to reach out to the community, etc. The related arrangements were very successful and received overwhelming response from civil servants and the public. For the upcoming LCGE, the HKSAR Government will continue to employ diverse and comprehensive means to proactively optimise various publicity and promotional initiatives, with a view to encouraging civil servants to participate in the election. As for staff who are required to work on the polling day, departmental managers must release those who need to vote to cast their votes at their designated polling stations. Timetables should be prepared accordingly to facilitate staff to leave the office for voting in an orderly manner. Also, such timetables must be submitted to the Heads of Departments concerned. Colleagues may apply for reimbursement of transport (including taxi) fares for travelling between their offices and designated polling stations.

Ends/Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Issued at HKT 12:03

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