The names of the 1 015 validly nominated candidates for the 2021 Election Committee Subsector Ordinary Elections were gazetted today (August 26). For contested subsectors, the number for each candidate on the ballot papers, which was determined by drawing of lots, was also announced. Names of the 156 validly nominated nominees for membership of the Election Committee were also gazetted today.
Polls for 13 contested subsectors involving 412 candidates will be held on September 19. Voting for 23 subsectors will not be required and 603 candidates will be returned uncontested. The contested subsectors are:
Commercial (third)
Financial services
Insurance
Architectural, surveying, planning and landscape
Chinese medicine
Education
Legal
Medical and health services
Social welfare
Technology and innovation
Labour
Representatives of members of Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees, and District Fire Safety Committees of Hong Kong and Kowloon
Representatives of members of Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees, and District Fire Safety Committees of the New Territories
Among the 1 016 candidate nomination forms received during the nomination period, one nomination was ruled invalid by the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee (CERC). The information is set out below:
| Subsector | Number of invalid nominations |
| Insurance | 1 |
For the subsectors with members to be returned by nomination, the relevant designated bodies submitted 40 nomination forms during the nomination period, involving a total of 231 nominees. Based on the preference/order of priority provided by the designated body or the priority determined by the Returning Officer by drawing of lots, the CERC determined the nomination of 156 nominees as valid.
As the number of validly nominated nominees was sufficient to fill the seats assigned to the designated bodies, the CERC did not determine the validity of nomination of the remaining 75 nominees.
Out of the 1 500 seats of the Election Committee, 325 persons were determined to be validly registered as ex-officio members, 156 persons were validly nominated to be members of the Election Committee and 603 candidates would be uncontested while 412 candidates would contest in the Election Committee Subsector Ordinary Elections to be held on September 19 for 364 seats.
In this term of the Election Committee, there are 377 ex-officio seats and there are currently 52 vacancies mainly owing to the fact that the Legislative Council (LegCo) members subsector is assigned 90 seats while there are only 42 LegCo members now, and that certain ex-officio members have dual eligibilities (for which designating another person to register as an ex-officio member is not allowed). When the next term of LegCo commences, the new LegCo members may register as ex-officio members of the LegCo members subsector, and the CERC will determine if their registrations are valid, so as to tie in with the Chief Executive Election to be held in March 2022.
The Registration and Electoral Office will announce the relevant polling arrangements in due course. The Registration and Electoral Office appeals to voters who are not in Hong Kong to pay attention to the quarantine arrangements for persons arriving in Hong Kong, make plans early and allow sufficient time to complete quarantine arrangements on arrival so as to vote in the Election Committee Subsector Ordinary Elections on September 19.
To ensure that the elections are conducted in an open, fair and honest manner, the Electoral Affairs Commission, the Registration and Electoral Office and the Independent Commission Against Corruption will continue to work closely to publicise clean election messages to members of the public and the candidates, arrange briefing sessions and more, so as to help the candidates familiarise themselves with the electoral arrangements and the relevant requirements.
The gazette notices and information about the candidates/nominees have been uploaded to the election website (www.elections.gov.hk).
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