China News Service, Hong Kong, October 25 (Reporter Zeng Ping) The 2021 Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Legislative Council general election will be held on December 19.
On the 25th, the Hong Kong Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) issued guidelines for the election of the Legislative Council in accordance with the Electoral Affairs Commission Ordinance. On the day of the election, the Registration and Electoral Office will set up more than 620 general polling stations in 10 constituencies in Hong Kong.
Fung Hua, Chairman of the EAC, stated that the relevant guidelines set out laws and regulations related to elections and establish a code of conduct for electoral activities in accordance with the principles of fairness and equality, which are applicable to the 2021 Legislative Council general election held in December this year and subsequent legislation. There will be by-elections (if any).
On the day of the election, the Registration and Electoral Office plans to set up more than 620 general polling stations in 10 constituencies in Hong Kong. It will also set up an election committee sector polling station at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for voters from this sector to vote for their election committee sectors at the same time. The ballot papers for country, geographical constituency and functional constituency (if applicable).
Feng Hua pointed out that considering the "unity vote system" adopted by the electoral committee sector, the number of candidates voted by voters in that sector must be no less than or no less than the number of members of the sector, which is 40.
In order to prevent voters from incorrectly selecting more or less than 40 people and the ballot is invalidated, optical mark readers will be provided in the polling stations of the Election Committee sector for voters to check whether the selected candidates on the ballot are 40.
In response to the adoption of the electronic voter register system and other improvement measures in the general election of the Legislative Council, the voting time will be shortened from 15 hours to 14 hours in the past.
In order to make the issuance of ballot papers more efficient and accurate, the polling station for the general election of the Legislative Council will use the electronic voter register system to issue ballots.
In addition, after consulting the Health Protection Center, the Registration and Electoral Office plans to set up a polling station in the Penny's Bay Quarantine Center to allow voters who are undergoing compulsory quarantine to vote.
Those who are undergoing home quarantine or compulsory quarantine in designated quarantine hotels will not have special voting arrangements.
As for whether polling stations will be set up at ports in the Mainland, Feng Hua said that the measure is still in the research stage.
The nomination period for the general election of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2021 will begin on October 30 and end on November 12.
Under the new electoral system, the number of seats in the Legislative Council will be increased from 70 to 90, and will be elected by geographical constituencies, functional constituencies, and election committee sectors.
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