REO clarifies rumours about “calculating election results after polling stations open for three hours”

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     The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) today (November 22) stressed that the REO will not calculate election results based on the votes cast during the first three hours on the District Council Ordinary Election(DCOE) polling day if the polling station concerned cannot operate after the poll has been conducted for three hours. The REO made the following statement to clarify online rumours:

     November 24 (Sunday) is the polling day of the DCOE. The polling hours for the ordinary polling stations will be from 7.30am to 10.30pm, 15 hours in total. The REO stresses that the calculation of the election result of a constituency will not be conducted before the poll of the Constituency is completed.

     On the polling day of the DCOE, if a polling station stops operating due to unexpected incidents and the service of the polling station can resume as normal in one and a half hours, the opening hours of the polling station will be extended accordingly on the same day. If the service of the polling station cannot resume in one and a half hours, the poll of the polling station will be postponed to the reserved polling day on December 1 (Sunday).

     If the poll is postponed to December 1, the Presiding Officer, witnessed by candidates or their agents, will lock and seal the ballot boxes and all related documents. The materials will be used again on December 1. On the reserved polling day, the opening hours of the polling station concerned will commence from the time the postponement announcement was made and run until 10.30pm. For example, if a polling station stops operating at 10.30am on November 24, the polling hours of the polling station on December 1 will be from 10.30am to 10.30pm, so that the polling hours will remain 15 in total.

     When an elector collects the ballot paper on November 24, his or her entry in the Final Register of Electors will be marked accordingly in the polling station. Therefore, the elector cannot vote again on the reserved polling day.

     The spokesman for the REO said, "Queues may be formed if a large number of electors cast their votes at approximately the same time. Polling staff will serve the electors as fast as they can. Electors are urged to wait patiently."

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