2020 provisional registers of electors and omissions lists were released today (June 1) for inspection by specified parties until June 24. The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) appeals to members of the public to log in to the Online Voter Information Enquiry System (www.voterinfo.gov.hk) to check their own latest registration particulars and whether they are listed on the omissions lists. Members of the public may also call the REO hotline on 2891 1001 during office hours to check the above-mentioned information. For enquiries, they should inform the REO by June 25.
About 4 455 300 registered electors are contained in the 2020 provisional register for geographical constituencies, which represents a net increase of about 322 400 electors compared to the figure of last year, after taking into account about 401 900 newly registered electors and the deletion of the electoral records of about 22 600 and 56 500 electors that have been listed on the omissions lists due to death and after the completion of the inquiry process respectively. In addition, the REO has received 1 051 200 applications for updating particulars from registered electors of geographical constituencies.
For functional constituencies, about 4 188 000 registered electors in the District Council (second) functional constituency, commonly known as the Super District Council, are listed in the provisional register, whereas for the other traditional functional constituencies, the number of registered electors is about 248 000. These figures have taken into account the newly registered electors, electors who have changed to register between the District Council (second) functional constituency and other traditional functional constituencies, and electors listed on the omissions lists due to death or as a result of the inquiry process.
"The REO will issue written registration notices by post after completion of processing the applications for new voter registration or change of registration particulars. In addition to written registration notices, electors who have applied for change of registration particulars will also be notified by SMS/email (if the electors have provided such information) that their registration particulars have been updated," a spokesman for the REO said.
"On the other hand, the REO has issued reminder letters to electors who have been listed on the omissions lists, to remind them once again to take appropriate remedial actions. The envelope is beige in colour and stamped with a red reminder message, 'Immediate action required. Your voting right is at stake.' The letter seeks to remind the recipients to reply on or before June 25 to confirm the validity of their registered addresses or update their registered addresses by returning a reply slip, so that they can resume their voter registration. Upon approval by the Revising Officer, their names and residential addresses will be included in the final register," the spokesman said.
The spokesman also reminded members of the public/registered electors that if they receive registration notices, SMS or emails from the REO regarding applications for new voter registration or change of registration particulars but they have not made such applications, they should return the registration notices to the REO and inform the REO for its follow-up. In addition, if members of the public receive letters issued by the REO and find that the addressee does not live at that place, they should write "no such person" on the envelopes and promptly return the letters to the REO via the Hongkong Post. Alternatively, the public may inform the REO by sending a photo of the letters to reoenq@reo.gov.hk for its follow-up.
In addition, the REO received a large number of new registration applications in the last few days before the statutory deadline. Since it needs time to verify information in some of the applications or to request supplementary information from the applicants, the particulars of about 27 000 applications for new registration or updating of registration particulars may not be shown on the 2020 provisional registers of electors. The REO will contact the applicants and remind them to provide the supplementary information requested. If the applicants meet the registration requirements, the REO will, upon the approval of the Revising Officer, include their particulars in the 2020 final registers of electors."
Anyone who has applied to be registered as an elector but does not find his or her name in the relevant register, or who finds his or her particulars incorrectly recorded, may lodge a claim in person with the REO. If anyone considers that a registered person is not eligible to be registered, he or she may also lodge an objection in person with the REO.
The specified forms for claims and objections can be obtained from the REO (10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, or 13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon) and all Home Affairs Enquiry Centres. They can also be downloaded from the REO website (www.reo.gov.hk/en/voter/appeal.htm).
"The statutory deadline for lodging a claim or objection is on June 25 (Thursday). As that day is the Tuen Ng Festival public holiday which is outside of the Electoral Registration Officer's ordinary business hours, special arrangements will be made by the REO to open its office located at 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, and 13/F, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, 1 Trademark Drive, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon, to receive the applications for claims and objections from 9am to 6pm on that day. The Revising Officer will then consider the evidence provided by the applicant and make a ruling in accordance with the legislation," the spokesman said.
To enhance transparency, and assist the persons concerned and members of the public to attend the hearings, information on the hearings of the claims and objections (including the date, time and venue of the hearings, and the names of the claimants/objectors/electors being objected to) will be uploaded to the REO website (www.reo.gov.hk/en/voter/appeal.htm) before the day of the hearing.
Full copies of the provisional registers for geographical constituencies, functional constituencies (other than the District Council (second) functional constituency) and Election Committee subsectors and respective omissions lists will be placed at REO's two offices located at 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong and 13/F, the Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre , 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, Kowloon. In accordance with the judgment of the judicial review case of the Junior Police Officers' Association handed down by the Court of Appeal on May 21, 2020 and the order made at the hearing on May 27, 2020 [Case no.: CACV 73/2020], the aforementioned registers of electors and the relevant omissions list are available for inspection during the REO's ordinary business hours from June 1 to 24 by members of the press (for operational considerations, REO adopts the list of subscribers of the Government News and Media Information System) and political parties (i.e. political bodies/organisations which meet the specified requirements). As for the parts of the provisional registers for functional constituencies and the Election Committee Subsectors which do not show the linked information of individual electors (i.e. their names and principal residential addresses), they are available for public inspection.
The REO will provide six inspection time slots (30 minutes for each time slot) on each working day. Eligible organisations/persons/members of the public may make appointments for inspection on a first-come, first-served basis. Each eligible organisation/person/member of the public may reserve one time slot per day. Applicants may make appointments to inspect the registers of electors by calling 2891 4082/2891 2070 during ordinary business hours starting from June 1. Upon completion of the initial reservation by phone, the applicant is required to fill in and return an official reservation form to the REO by a specified deadline to confirm the reservation.
The REO's ordinary business hours are from 9am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays (except public holidays).
Statistical information about the provisional registers is available on the voter registration website (www.voterregistration.gov.hk).
The REO will publish the final registers of electors on or before July 25, 2020.
