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The Government announced today it will set up three polling stations at boundary control points (BCPs) for voters to return from the Mainland to Hong Kong to vote in the 2021 Legislative Council General Election.

Elaborating on the arrangement today, Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang said since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, cross-boundary travel between the Mainland and Hong Kong has yet to be fully resumed while there is a large number of Hong Kong residents who are still in the Mainland. In response to this situation, polling stations on the Hong Kong side of Hong Kong/Shenzhen BCPs will be established to facilitate Hong Kong voters in the Mainland.

The Mainland immigration control authorities have agreed to temporarily open the BCPs at Liantang, Luohu and Futian, Mr Tsang announced. Provided that specified health protection conditions are met, electors who have successfully registered for the arrangement may be exempted from the centralised quarantine or medical surveillance requirement if they return to the Mainland immediately after casting their votes at the BCP polling stations.

The measures are only applicable to voters of geographical and functional constituencies. Election Committee constituency voters now in the Mainland are therefore advised to plan their trip to Hong Kong in advance or return to the city via the Return2hk Scheme with a view to voting on the polling day on December 19.

To ensure that the voting arrangement is implemented in an orderly manner, the Government will impose a quota of 111,000 on a first come, first served basis - 33,000 for Heung Yuen Wai (Liantang), 42,000 for Lo Wu (Luohu), and 36,000 for the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line (Futian).

Adopting closed-loop management, the polling stations will be turned into counting stations after polling hours. Except for electors who have been assigned to the BCP polling stations, as well as candidates or their agents and electoral staff, entry to or exit from the BCP polling stations will be prohibited.

Furthermore, while candidates or their agents may apply to enter the polling stations to observe the counting process, public observation will not be offered.

Mr Tsang said: “The reason why we will not arrange for the public to attend the counting process is simply because we try to minimise the risk of infection.”

Having consulted the Electoral Affairs Commission, it is considered that this arrangement guarantees the election’s fairness and transparency, he noted.

A dedicated online platform will accept registration from 9am on December 1 to 6pm on December 8. Once confirmed, the elector must vote at the chosen BCP polling station at a specified timeslot on the polling day.

After receiving the confirmation that the registration is successful, electors should take a COVID-19 nucleic acid test in one of the medical testing institutions recognised by the National Health Commission 48 hours before entering Hong Kong on the polling day. Electors will be asked to present the proof of a valid negative nucleic acid test result when departing the Mainland and entering Hong Kong. Electors would also need to present a Mainland "Green Health Code".

People from medium or high-risk areas in the Mainland, people who have stayed or visited districts or cities of high-risk areas in the past 14 days, and people who have been infected with COVID-19 in the past three months are not allowed to vote at the BCP polling stations. Meanwhile, those who have stayed or visited districts or cities of medium-risk areas in the past 14 days would be required to use a separate channel as instructed on site.

The Government underlined that it will ensure the election is held in a fair, just, clean, safe and orderly manner. It also strongly urged electors to vote in the upcoming LegCo election which is the second major poll after the improvement of the electoral system to fully implement the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”.

For enquiries, email or call the Registration & Electoral Office at 2891 1001.