4th December 2023 – (Hong Kong) The 2023 District Council Ordinary Election is scheduled to take place on December 10, Sunday. To ensure that District Council geographical constituency (DCGC) electors are well-acquainted with the voting procedures, the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) will open four mock polling stations for a period of four days, starting from December.
The four mock polling stations will be set up at North Point Community Hall, Kwun Tong Community Centre, Tai Po Community Centre, and Tuen Mun Tseng Choi Street Community Hall. These stations will be open from 4pm to 8pm on 5th December and from noon to 8 pm from December 6 to 8.
To facilitate group visits to the mock polling stations on 6th and 7th December, the REO has established a hotline (2967 0367) and a fax line (2834 0934) for arranging appointments.
On the polling day, there will be more than 600 DCGC ordinary polling stations, 18 District Committees constituency (DCC) polling stations, and a maximum of 48 dedicated polling stations. Additionally, four near boundary polling stations will be set up at two secondary schools near Sheung Shui MTR Station. These stations aim to assist electors residing in the Mainland or those who need to travel to and from the Mainland on the polling day to cast their DCGC votes. DCGC electors have until tomorrow, before 6 pm, to register via the online registration system (www.reo-form.gov.hk/NBPS/en). Starting from 6th December, electors can log in to the Online Voter Information Enquiry System (www.voterinfo.gov.hk) to check their final allocated polling station.
To provide transparency and familiarity with the voting process, members of the public can view both the front and back of mock ballot papers for the DCGCs and the DCCs on the election website (www.elections.gov.hk/dc2023/eng/pollinfo.html). The website also contains descriptions of the special features of the ballot papers.
The REO has implemented measures to ensure that electors with special needs can exercise their right to vote. Over 90 percent of the polling stations are accessible to individuals with mobility difficulties or those who use wheelchairs. Temporary ramps will be installed at polling stations, if necessary and feasible, to facilitate electors with mobility difficulties. The location map enclosed with the poll card clearly specifies whether the designated polling station is accessible to electors with mobility difficulties or wheelchair users.
Electors who have been allocated to an inaccessible polling station due to mobility difficulties or wheelchair use can apply to the REO for reallocation to another polling station. The deadline for such requests is tomorrow (at least five days before the polling day). The REO can be contacted through the election hotline (2891 1001), fax (2891 1180), or email ([email protected]). Upon request, the REO may also arrange rehab buses to transport electors with mobility difficulties to and from polling stations.
In order to make the election process inclusive, the Electoral Affairs Commission encourages candidates to provide a text version of their Introduction to Candidates. This will enable electors with visual impairment to understand the content using software aids. The text versions provided by candidates have been uploaded to the election website (www.elections.gov.hk/dc2023/eng/introduction.html). Electors with visual impairment can also listen to the candidates’ introductions by calling the dedicated 24-hour Interactive Voice Response System (2893 3762). Braille templates will be provided at polling stations to assist electors with visual impairment in casting their votes.
To assist electors who are not familiar with Chinese and English, voting procedures guides in 10 other languages, including Japanese, Korean, Bahasa Indonesia, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, and Urdu, will be available at every polling station. Information on the election in these languages has also been uploaded to the election website.
The REO has collaborated with the Centre for Harmony and Enhancement of Ethnic Minority Residents, run by the Hong Kong Christian Service, to provide a telephone simultaneous interpretation service in eight languages (Bahasa Indonesia, Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, and Urdu). This service aims to assist concerned electors in consulting the REO on election matters from 27th November to 1st December and from 4th December until the polling day.
To ensure accessibility for electors with hearing or communication problems, as well as those who are not familiar with Chinese and English, an Illustration on Guidance on Voting Procedure will be available at polling stations. This illustration helps electors understand the voting procedures. It has been uploaded to the election website (www.elections.gov.hk/dc2023/eng/pollinfo.html).
As the 2023 District Council OrdinaryElection approaches, the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) is taking steps to ensure that electors are well-prepared for the voting process. Starting from 5th December, four mock polling stations will be set up at North Point Community Hall, Kwun Tong Community Centre, Tai Po Community Centre, and Tuen Mun Tseng Choi Street Community Hall. These stations will be open in the late afternoon and evening hours, allowing electors to familiarise themselves with the voting procedures. Additionally, a hotline and fax line have been established for group visits to the mock polling stations.
On the day of the election, there will be a large number of polling stations available for electors. More than 600 DCGC ordinary polling stations, 18 District Committees constituency polling stations, and up to 48 dedicated polling stations will be set up. To accommodate voters who reside in the Mainland or need to travel there on the polling day, four near boundary polling stations will be established near Sheung Shui MTR Station. Electors have until tomorrow evening to register online and can check their allocated polling station starting from 6th December.
To ensure transparency, the public can view the mock ballot papers for the DCGCs and DCCs on the election website. The website also provides descriptions of the special features of the ballot papers.
The REO has taken measures to ensure that electors with special needs can exercise their right to vote. The majority of polling stations are accessible to individuals with mobility difficulties or those who use wheelchairs. Temporary ramps will be installed if needed. The poll card provided to electors will specify whether their designated polling station is accessible.
Electors who face accessibility issues can request a reallocation to an accessible polling station. The deadline for such requests is tomorrow, and the REO can be contacted through various channels. In cases where necessary, the REO will arrange transportation for electors with mobility difficulties.
To promote inclusivity, candidates are encouraged to provide a text version of their Introduction to Candidates. This allows electors with visual impairment to access the content using software aids. The text versions provided by candidates have been uploaded to the election website. Electors with visual impairment can also listen to the candidates’ introductions through a dedicated 24-hour Interactive Voice Response System. Braille templates will be available at polling stations to assist visually impaired electors.
For electors who are not fluent in Chinese or English, voting procedure guides in ten other languages will be provided at each polling station. The election website contains information in these languages as well.
To assist electors from ethnic minority communities, a telephone simultaneous interpretation service will be available in eight languages. This service aims to help electors consult the REO on election matters.
To ensure clarity for electors with hearing or communication difficulties, as well as those who are not familiar with Chinese or English, an Illustration on Guidance on Voting Procedure will be provided at polling stations. This illustration has also been uploaded to the election website.