The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) today (April 14) appealed to eligible persons/bodies who have not yet registered as geographical constituency (GC), functional constituency (FC) and/or Election Committee subsector electors/voters to submit registration applications on or before the statutory deadline of June 2 so that they can be included in the final registers of electors/voters to be published in September this year.
There is no need for registered electors/voters (persons/bodies) to register again, but they are reminded to fulfil their civic responsibility by notifying the REO of any changes in residential address or other registration particulars by the statutory deadline of June 2. Electors must submit their applications for changing their residential address along with address proof for verification by the REO.
Hong Kong permanent residents holding an identity document, who have reached 18 years of age and are ordinarily residing in Hong Kong are eligible to register as GC electors. From May 1 this year, new GC voter registrations must provide address proof. Electors should provide their telephone numbers and email addresses so that the REO can contact them more promptly and efficiently if necessary. They may also choose to receive election mail from candidates by email.
A spokesman for the REO said, "As a measure to assist electors, applicants who are the registered occupants of public rental housing under the Housing Department or subsidised housing under the Hong Kong Housing Society are exempted from the address proof requirement, be it for application for voter registration or application for change of residential address by registered electors."
When applying for replacement of a smart identity card, registered electors may choose whether to give consent to the transfer of their personal particulars from the Immigration Department to the REO for verification of particulars in the registers of electors. As the verification and follow-up processes take time, the REO suggests that electors submit at the same time the specified form (REO-GC) to apply for change of particulars when they give consent, so as not to miss the statutory deadline for change of registration particulars on June 2.
On the other hand, to enhance the accuracy and integrity of the registration particulars of electors, the REO is continuing to conduct the checking measures in this voter registration cycle, and will issue inquiry letters to electors. A prominent message, "Immediate action required. Your voting right is at stake", is printed on the envelopes of all inquiry letters to remind the electors that the letters are important. The REO will contact the electors under inquiry through other contact information provided by the electors, such as phone, SMS, email or fax, to remind them to reply as soon as possible. The electors under inquiry should reply on or before June 2 so as to maintain their voter registration status.
The Announcements in the Public Interest of the Voter Registration Campaign will run on television, radio and the Internet from today onwards. Promotional messages will also be displayed on websites and mobile applications, at bus stops, in MTR stations and elsewhere to make an appeal to eligible persons to register as electors.
Members of the public may check their registration status and registration particulars by logging into the Online Voter Information Enquiry System (www.voterinfo.gov.hk) or calling the REO hotline at 2891 1001.
Application forms for new registration and change of registration particulars can be obtained from the REO, the District Offices and the management offices of public housing estates. They can also be downloaded from the voter registration website (www.voterregistration.gov.hk). Completed forms can be submitted to the REO by post (13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay), by fax (2891 1180), by email (form@reo.gov.hk) or via the REO e-Form Upload Platform (www.reo-form.gov.hk).
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