Electors urged to vote in District Council Ordinary Election today (with photos)

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 registered electors to cast their votes in the District Council Ordinary Election today (November 24).

     "Queues have been formed in a number of polling stations this morning, because electors cast their votes at approximately the same time. We appealed electors to wait patiently and orderly. Polling staff will serve electors as soon as possible," Mr Justice Fung said after visiting the polling station at Ma Tau Chung Government Primary School Hung Hom Bay this morning.

     "Voting is very simple. I encourage electors to exercise their civic rights and fulfil their civil responsibilities. Electors must bring the original of their Hong Kong identity card or other specified alternative documents to the designated polling station to collect their ballot papers to cast votes. Electors must use the chop provided by the polling stations to stamp the ballot paper with a tick in the circle opposite the name of the chosen candidate, and fold the ballot paper inward in half before putting it into the ballot box," he said.

     Mr Justice Fung said that poll card is not needed for collecting ballot papers, but electors are reminded to note the address of the designated polling station on their poll card to ensure that they visit the correct polling station. They may only vote at the designated polling station allocated to them.

     "Only registered electors on the 2019 final registers of electors are eligible to vote on the polling day. If electors did not receive the poll card and are unsure whether they are a registered elector on the registers of electors, they should, before departing for voting, log in to the Online Voter Information Enquiry System (www.voterinfo.gov.hk) to check whether they are a registered elector and where to vote, or call the election hotline 2891 1001 for enquiries," he said.

     A total of 1 090 candidates will run for 452 seats today. Over 610 ordinary polling stations and 23 dedicated polling stations are open today for over 4.13 million registered electors to cast their votes.

     The ordinary polling stations and the three dedicated polling stations set up at police stations are open to electors from 7.30am to 10.30pm. For security reasons, the 20 dedicated polling stations set up in penal institutions will open from 9am to 4pm.

     As at 10.30am, 720 455 electors have voted, bringing the accumulative turnout rate to 17.43 per cent.

     Mr Justice Fung and Commission members Mr Arthur Luk, SC, and Professor Fanny Cheung inspect various polling stations across Hong Kong today to see for themselves how electoral activities are being conducted.

     The election hotline at 2891 1001 will be in service until 11pm to answer enquiries relating to the election.

     A complaints hotline at 2827 7251 will operate until 11pm to handle complaints about breaches of electoral rules and guidelines.

     Hourly voter turnouts and election results will be available on the election website (www.elections.gov.hk).