Views on election guidelines sought

March 9, 2020

(To watch the whole press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)

 

The Electoral Affairs Commission is inviting public views on its proposed guidelines for the 2020 Legislative Council General Election.

  

At a press conference today, Electoral Affairs Commission Chairman Barnabas Fung briefed reporters on the guidelines for the LegCo election, to be held in the third quarter.

 

On queuing arrangements at polling stations, Mr Fung said the commission is looking into arrangements to facilitate voters with special needs.

 

“There has always been a flexible approach to attending to those needy, for example, those people who, for whatever reason cannot stand up for long hours.

  

“For those who have special needs, such as they cannot stand for long hours, we have made arrangement that if possible, the presiding officers would allow them to go and sit in polling station and have their position in the queue marked and upon reaching their respective position they will be called upon to collect the ballot paper.

 

“We have heard views about further facilitating or even according priority to certain groups of people to have their votes cast first.

 

“As to what is the next step, we have to really look at the views in the consultation and as to whether it is practical to make a special arrangement.”

  

Another suggestion made by the commission includes limiting the number of entrants in a counting station and requesting public entrants to register their names and identity document numbers.

 

Mr Fung said: “Of course, the public would be welcome. But if there are far too many people there causing problems to the counting process, I think this is doing a disservice to the whole counting process.”

 

The commission will also explore the suggestion of video-recording the entire counting process for the sake of maintaining order as well as for evidence, if necessary.

  

Due to public health considerations, there will be no public forum for this consultation to reduce the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus in the community.

 

People are welcome to send their views by April 7 to the commission by post at 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, by fax at 2511 1682 or by email.

 

Call 2891 1001 for enquiries.

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