The provisional registers of electors and omissions lists were released today (August 1) for public inspection until August 25. The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) appeals to members of the public to log in to the Online Voter Information Enquiry System (www.voterinfo.gov.hk) to check their own latest registration particulars and whether they are listed on the omissions lists. Members of the public can also call the REO hotline on 2891 1001 during office hours to check the above-mentioned information.
About 4.119 million registered electors are contained in the 2019 provisional register for geographical constituencies, which represents a net increase of about 305 000 electors compared to the figure of last year, after taking into account about 386 000 newly registered electors and the deletion of the electoral records of about 32 000 and 49 000 electors that have been listed on the omissions list due to death and after the completion of the inquiry process respectively. In addition, the REO has received 450 000 applications for updating particulars from registered electors of geographical constituencies.
"The REO has issued reminder letters to those electors who have been listed on the omissions list, to remind them once again to take appropriate remedial actions. The envelope is beige in colour and stamped with a red reminder message, 'Immediate action required. Your voting right is at stake.' The letter seeks to remind the recipients to reply by August 25 to confirm the validity of their registered addresses or update their registered addresses by returning a reply slip, so that they can resume their voter registration. Upon approval by the Revising Officer, their names and residential addresses will be included in the final register," the spokesman for the REO said.
Some electors, in the course of replacing their smart identity cards, were affected by the technical issues with the Immigration Department's computer system. The REO has finished checking the particulars of the electors affected during the period from December 27, 2018, to May 31, 2019, and found that the particulars of about 32 000 electors are different from those of the register. The REO has issued letters and contacted the electors concerned through different means to remind them to update their registered addresses and provide the requisite documents. The REO will also provide assistance to the affected electors, with a view to updating their registered addresses for inclusion in the 2019 final registers. This notwithstanding, if the addresses could not be updated in time, the affected electors can still vote in the constituencies where their original addresses are located.
In addition, as the REO needs time to verify cases with incomplete information or cases required supplementary information from the applicants, the particulars of about 10 000 applications received on or before the statutory deadlines for new registration or updating of the registration particulars may not be shown on the 2019 provisional registers of electors. The REO will contact the applicants and remind them to provide supplementary information. If the applicants meet the registration requirements, the REO will act in accordance with the ruling of the Revising Officer to include the particulars in the 2019 final registers of electors.
Anyone who has applied to be registered as an elector but does not find his or her name in the relevant register, or who finds his or her particulars incorrectly recorded, may lodge a claim in person with the REO. If anyone considers that a registered person is not eligible to be registered, he or she may also lodge an objection in person with the REO.
"The statutory deadline for lodging a claim or objection is August 25. A special arrangement will be made by the REO, located at 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, and 13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademark Drive, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, to receive the applications for claim and objection from 9am to 6pm on August 24 (Saturday) and August 25 (Sunday). The Revising Officer will then consider the evidence provided by the applicant to make a ruling in accordance with the legislation," the spokesman said.
The specified forms for claims and objections can be obtained from the REO (10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, or 13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay) and all Home Affairs Enquiry Centres. They can also be downloaded from the REO website (www.reo.gov.hk/en/voter/appeal.htm).
To enhance transparency, and assist the persons concerned and members of the public to attend the hearings, information on the hearings of the claims and objections (including the date, time and venue of the hearings, and the names of the claimants/objectors/electors being objected to) will be uploaded to the REO website (www.reo.gov.hk/en/voter/appeal.htm) before the hearing day.
For the geographical constituencies and the District Council (second) functional constituency, full copies of the provisional registers can be inspected during the ordinary business hours at the REO on 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. The relevant section of the register pertinent to a particular district is available for public inspection at the respective Home Affairs Enquiry Centre during its business hours from Mondays to Fridays. As regards the omissions lists for the geographical constituencies and the District Council (second) functional constituency, full copies are available for public inspection at the REO's office at Harbour Centre in Wan Chai and all Home Affairs Enquiry Centres.
For functional constituencies, about 3.849 million registered electors in the District Council (second) functional constituency, commonly known as the Super District Council, are listed in the provisional register, whereas for the other traditional functional constituencies, the number of registered electors is about 229 000. These figures have taken into account newly registered electors, electors who have changed to register between the District Council (second) functional constituency and other traditional functional constituencies, and electors listed on the omissions lists due to death or as a result of the inquiry process.
For functional constituencies (other than the District Council (second) functional constituency) and Election Committee subsectors, full copies of the provisional registers and omissions lists are available during ordinary business hours for public inspection at the REO's offices at Harbour Centre in Wan Chai and the Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre. They can also be inspected at the Home Affairs Enquiry Centres in Central, Mong Kok, Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin during their business hours from Mondays to Fridays.
The REO's ordinary business hours are from 9am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays (except public holidays).
Statistical information about the provisional registers is available on the voter registration website (www.voterregistration.gov.hk).
The REO will publish the final registers of electors on or before September 25.
