Hong Kong Regulations

BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION (ELECTORAL PROCEDURE) (GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES) REGULATION - SECT 40

Procedure at close of poll

Caution: This is a past version. See the current version here.

(1) As soon as practicable after the close of a poll at a polling station,
the presiding officer shall, in the presence of such persons (if any) as are
then present within the polling station-

   (a)  seal with a seal provided for the purpose, or such other device as
        specified by the Chief Electoral Officer, each ballot box in a manner
        which prevents the introduction into or withdrawal from the box of any
        ballot paper or other material after sealing;

   (b)  make up into separate sealed packets-

        (i)    ballot papers (if any) which were not issued (in this
Regulation referred to as "unissued ballot papers"
(                         ));


        (ii)   the unused ballot papers;

        (iii)  the spoilt ballot papers; and

        (iv)   the marked copies of the final register, and deliver the ballot
               box and the sealed packets to the returning officer.

(2) Where a polling station is designated for a geographical constituency and
one or more functional constituencies, the presiding  officer shall, for the
purposes of subsection (1), make separate sealed packets in respect of the
geographical constituency and the functional constituency or constituencies.

(3) For the avoidance of doubt it is declared that the ballot papers in a
sealed packed prepared under subsection (1)(b) shall not be counted for the
purpose of counting the votes and that accordingly the references to ballot
papers in relation to the counting of the votes shall be construed as not
including those ballot papers. (L.N. 221 of 1995)