Voters to follow voting procedures in 2025 Election Committee Subsector By-elections to be held this Sunday
The 2025 Election Committee Subsector (ECSS) By-elections will be held this Sunday (September 7) and the polling hours are from 9am to 6pm. The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) reminds voters/authorised representatives (ARs) concerned to follow the instructions on their poll card and bring the original of their valid Hong Kong identity (HKID) card to vote at their designated polling station.
A spokesman for the REO said today (September 4), "In accordance with the law, only registered voters/ARs in the 2025 final register of voters for Election Committee subsectors who belong to contested subsectors are eligible to vote on the polling day. The six contested subsectors are commercial (third); architectural, surveying, planning and landscape; technology and innovation; labour; representatives of members of Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees, and District Fire Safety Committees of Hong Kong and Kowloon; and representatives of members of Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees, and District Fire Safety Committees of the New Territories.
"Voters/ARs of the six subsectors may use 'iAM Smart' or the voter registration website (vr.gov.hk) to log in to the Online Voter Information Enquiry System to check polling information such as the name and address of their designated polling station and its location on the map, the polling hours, as well as the Introduction to Candidates. They can also call the election hotline (2891 1001) for enquiries."
On the polling day, there will be 28 candidates contesting a total of 21 seats in six subsectors. Five ordinary polling stations located in the Exhibition Gallery of Hong Kong Central Library, Kowloon Park Sports Centre, Wai Tsuen Sports Centre, Tiu Keng Leng Sports Centre and Che Kung Temple Sports Centre, and one dedicated polling station at Happy Valley Police Station will be set up for about 3 600 voters/ARs of the contested subsectors.
Polling arrangements
A voter or an AR must produce the original of his/her valid HKID card at the ballot paper issuing desk in the polling station. The polling staff will scan the HKID card of the voter or AR using a tablet of the Electronic Poll Register System to verify his/her identity and issue the ballot paper(s) upon verification.
When marking the ballot paper, voters/ARs must fill in the ovals opposite the names of the candidates of their choice with the black pen provided at the polling station, and vote for no more than the prescribed number of seats in the relevant subsector, otherwise the ballot paper will be regarded as invalid.
The spokesman said, "Ballot paper checking machines will be set up at the polling stations for voters/ARs to check whether the ballot paper has been marked according to the electoral law. The ballot paper checking machines will not record or count the choice(s) marked on the ballot paper. Having checked the ballot paper, voters/ARs should insert the unfolded ballot paper into the ballot box with the marked side facing down. It is in principle alright for voters/ARs to bring along a piece of paper listing the names or numbers of the candidates of their choice for easy reference when marking the ballot papers. Nevertheless, voters/ARs should bear in mind that they should not show the paper to other people inside the polling station and they should take the paper with them when leaving the polling station. Otherwise, the voters/ARs concerned may violate the electoral law," the spokesman said.
Based on the principles of the autonomy of voting and secrecy of votes, it is prohibited under the law to have anyone (even for the voter/AR's relative or friend) to accompany or assist the voter to cast his/her vote. If necessary, a voter/an AR may ask the Presiding Officer or his/her deputy to mark the ballot paper on the voter/AR's behalf in the presence of a member of the polling staff as witness. It is an offence for any voter/AR to disturb others, use electronic devices for communication, take photographs, or make a video or audio recording at a polling station.
The spokesman said that the introduction booklets on candidates printed by the REO will be displayed at all polling stations for reference by voters/ARs.
Special arrangements at polling stations
Two queues will be set up at the polling stations. One queue is for people aged 70 or above, pregnant women and those who are not able to queue for a long time or have difficulty in queuing due to their physical condition, while the other queue is for other voters/ARs. The Presiding Officers will flexibly deploy ballot paper issuing desks depending on the queuing situation.
A certain area outside each polling station will be designated as a no canvassing zone to ensure that voters/ARs can gain access to the polling stations without interference. A no staying zone will also be designated outside the entrance and exit of a polling station. No one is allowed to stay in the no staying zone or be allowed to canvass for votes or conduct "de-facto canvassing" such as making hand gestures and greetings in the no canvassing zone.
Enquiries about the By-elections on the polling day can be made to the election hotline at 2891 1001, which will operate from 8.30am to 6.30pm that day. A complaints hotline (2827 7251/3707 0188) will be in service from 9am to 6.30pm that day to handle complaints about breaches of electoral rules or guidelines.
Counting arrangements
Once the poll is closed, the ballot boxes will be delivered to the Central Counting Station at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for counting. Candidates, election agents and counting agents may enter the Central Counting Station and observe the count at designated areas of the counting zone. Members of the public and media may also enter the public area of the Central Counting Station to observe the count. A notice setting out the maximum capacity of members of the public in the public area will be displayed outside the Central Counting Station.
Once the counting of votes is completed, the Returning Officers will declare the election results at the Central Counting Station. The REO will also arrange for the Returning Officers to announce again the election results of each subsector on the stage of the Media Centre. The election results will also be displayed outside the Central Counting Station and published via press releases and the election website (www.elections.gov.hk).
For enquiries, please call the election hotline on 2891 1001 or visit the election website for more information on the By-elections.
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