Poll cards sent to Election Committee subsector voters

About 168,000 voters have been informed of where and how to vote in the Election Committee subsector elections to be conducted on Sunday (July 9).

The Registration and Electoral Office has sent each voter a poll card, a leaflet publishing the personal particulars of candidates, a voting guide, a map of the designated polling station and a leaflet about clean elections.

"If voters have not yet received this information, please call us on the hotline, 2891 1001, as soon as possible," a spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office said.

One hundred polling stations, mostly located in schools, indoor games halls and community centres, will be open to voters from 7.30 am to 10.30 pm on July 9.

A total of 723 candidates from 25 subsectors and two sub-subsectors who represent various trades, professions, labour groups and district-based organisations will contest 482 seats on the Election Committee.

"Voting will be made more convenient this time. Every voter is assigned to a polling station according to his registered residential address. Just bring along his identity card to his designated polling station and he will be issued a ballot paper and an envelope, which is used for concealing his votes.

"Each subsector or sub-subsector has seats ranging from 10 to 40 on the Election Committee. A voter may choose up to the number of members to be elected to represent his subsector or sub-subsector but no more. Just use the pen provided at a voting booth to shade the ovals against the names of the candidates of his choice," the spokesman said.

To let voters see for themselves polling facilities before they vote, the Registration and Electoral Office will open the polling station at Tsim Sha Tsui District Kai Fong Welfare Association for public visit from 9 am to 5 pm on July 7 and 8.

After the close of poll at 10.30 pm on July 9, all ballot papers will be delivered to a central counting station at Exhibition Hall 1, Level 2, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai. A public area will be designated for members of the public to witness the count.

The spokesman pointed out that 182 candidates from nine subsectors and two sub-subsectors had been elected unopposed. Thus about 9,100 voters do not have to go to the polls. They have been sent a leaflet about the candidates who have been returned as Election Committee members.

The Election Committee is made up of 664 elected members, 40 members nominated by the religious subsector and 96 ex-officio members, who are Hong Kong deputies to the National People's Congress and Legislative Council members. The Committee will then elect six of the 60 Legislative Council members in September.

Sunday, July 2, 2000