Details of the organisations approved to conduct the exit poll on the polling day of the 2021 Legislative Council General Election were uploaded to the election website (www.elections.gov.hk) today (December 17). The information will also be displayed at relevant polling stations on the polling day.
The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) received applications from i-Cable News Limited and the Hong Kong Research Association before the deadline to conduct the exit poll, and has approved the organisations to conduct the exit poll at designated polling stations.
"To forestall public perception of unfairness, an organisation approved to conduct the exit poll is subject to the preconditions that it does not have member(s) contesting in the Legislative Council constituency, of which any polling stations are covered by the exit poll, has not publicly expressed support for any candidate(s) in the Legislative Council constituency, of which any polling stations are covered by the exit poll, and will not deploy member(s) of any organisation which has member(s) contesting in the Legislative Council constituency, of which any polling stations are covered by the exit poll or member(s) of any organisation which has publicly expressed support for candidate(s) contesting in the Legislative Council constituency, of which any polling stations are covered by the exit poll to conduct the exit poll," a spokesman for the REO said.
"The organisation is required to make a statutory declaration not to announce or disclose the information/results of the exit poll before the close of the poll. In particular, it should not release the results to any candidate(s) contesting in the Legislative Council constituency, of which any polling stations are covered by the exit poll, any person or organisation which has publicly expressed support for any candidate(s) contesting in the Legislative Council constituency, of which any polling stations are covered by the exit poll, or any body or organisation with a member or members contesting in the Legislative Council constituency, of which any polling stations are covered by the exit poll," the spokesman added.
"In addition, it should not make specific remarks or predictions on the performance of any individual candidate before the close of the poll as this may affect electors' voting behaviour and have an impact on election results.
"All approved exit poll interviewers are required to display prominently an identification device showing clearly the identity of the organisation conducting the poll and the name of the interviewer during the conduct of the exit poll. Also, they should not speak to or communicate with the candidates or their agents there. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, interviewers should maintain sufficient social distance with the electors," the spokesman said.
"Interviews are not allowed inside polling stations. It is electors' right to keep their votes secret and electors' participation in the exit poll is wholly voluntary," the spokesman reiterated.
The REO reminded the public that the Government has not commissioned any person or organisation to conduct the exit poll.
For enquiries, please call the election hotline on 2891 1001.
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