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The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:
The Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, Mr Justice Barnabas Fung Wah, called on Election Committee members to cast their votes in the 2012 Chief Executive Election tomorrow (March 25).
Mr Justice Fung and the Returning Officer, Mr Justice Jeremy Poon Shiu-chor, visited the main polling station in the Grand Hall, 3/F, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre today (March 24). He said all the arrangements for the polling station are already in place.
The first round of voting will start at 9am and close at 11am. Mr Justice Fung appealed to Election Committee members to arrive at the main polling station before 10am to avoid the rush towards the end of the poll.
"In any case, Election Committee members must arrive at the main polling station by 11am so that they can vote in the first round of voting," he said.
As the traffic may be quite busy in the vicinity of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre tomorrow, Election Committee members are advised to watch out for news reports on television and radio on the traffic condition near the venue and any urgent announcements relating to the electoral arrangements tomorrow morning.
Mr Justice Fung reminded Election Committee members that they must take their Hong Kong Identity Card to the main polling station. They are also advised to bring along their name badge and the polling notice to facilitate admission.
"Upon obtaining their ballot paper at the issuing desk at the main polling station, the Election Committee members can proceed to any one of the voting compartments, use the chop provided to stamp a 'tick' in the circle next to the chosen candidate's name, and fold the ballot paper inward in half before putting it into the ballot box," he said.
"Same as other elections, the ballot is secret," Mr Justice Fung stressed.
"In accordance with the legislation, Election Committee members are not allowed to communicate with others, in particular to show their vote on the ballot paper to others, inside the main polling station," he said.
Election Committee members are also not allowed to communicate with others using mobile phones or other communication devices, and to film, take photographs or make any audio or video recording inside the main polling station. They should not remove a ballot paper from the main polling station.
"To facilitate the Presiding Officer to enforce the relevant legislation, Election Committee members are advised to switch off their mobile phones before entering the polling station," he said.
He pointed out that according to the law, no person shall communicate to another person any information obtained in a polling station as to which candidate an elector is about to vote for or has voted for. No person shall also directly or indirectly induce an elector to display a ballot paper marked by the elector so as to make known to any person any information as to which candidate the elector has voted for.
It is an offence for any person to display any propaganda material relating to any candidate or the election, disrupt the poll or counting of votes, disturb or cause inconvenience to any person, or otherwise misconduct himself inside the main polling station and the central counting station, he said.
Mr Justice Fung said sufficient staff will be deployed inside the polling station to maintain order to ensure that the important principle of voting secrecy will be upheld in the conduct of the election. In the event that there is a breach of the law, the Returning Officer or the Presiding Officer may order the person involved to leave the polling station immediately.
Should there be a need for more than one round of voting, the second and third rounds of voting will be held from 2pm to 3pm and from 7pm to 8pm respectively.
The counting of votes will be held in the central counting station in Hall F and G, 5/F, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre shortly after the close of the poll for each round of voting. After polling, Election Committee members are encouraged to stay to watch the count and wait for the declaration of election result.
Information about the Chief Executive Election is available on the election website (www.elections.gov.hk).
For enquiries, please call the election hotline on 2891 1001.
Ends/Saturday, March 24, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:15
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