Hong Kong Regulations

ELECTORAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION (ELECTORAL PROCEDURE) (LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL) REGULATION - SECT 63

Steps to be taken at the close of the poll: a polling station which is not a small polling station

(Past version on 16/07/2004).
(Past version on 05/05/2000).
(Past version on 21/01/1998).

(1) As soon as practicable after the close of the poll at a polling  station
which is also designated as a counting station, the Presiding  Officer must
display a notice in a prominent place outside the polling  station stating
that the poll has been closed and that it will be opened when it is ready for
use for the counting of votes. (L.N. 84 of 2004)

(1A) A candidate, and an election agent, a polling agent and a counting agent
of such candidate may stay in a polling station referred to in subsection (1)
while it is closed for the preparation for the counting of votes. (L.N. 84 of
2004; L.N. 66 of 2008)

(2) After complying with subsection (1), the Presiding Officer must, in the
presence of the persons, if any, who are present within the polling station,
take the following steps—

   (a)  place the ballot box or boxes where that Officer and other persons who
        are present within the polling station can see them;

   (b)  cover each ballot box with a device provided for that purpose so that
        a ballot paper or any other material cannot be introduced into or
        withdrawn from the ballot box after it is covered;

   (c)  use a padlock to keep the device secured in position;

   (d)  seal each ballot box; and

   (e)  make up into separate sealed packets—

        (i)    ballot papers which have not been issued;

        (ii)   the unused ballot papers;

        (iii)  the spoilt ballot papers; and

        (iv)   the marked copies of the final register. (L.N. 84 of 2004)

(2A) The Presiding Officer must, after complying with subsection

(2), keep the sealed ballot box or boxes under that Officer's control until
the counting of votes begins. (L.N. 84 of 2004)

(3) At a polling station used for polling for more than one constituency, the
Presiding Officer must make separate sealed packets for each constituency.
(L.N. 84 of 2004)

(4) For the avoidance of doubt it is stated that the ballot papers in a sealed
packet prepared under this section are not to be counted for the purpose of
counting the votes. Accordingly, the references to ballot papers in relation
to the counting of the votes are to be construed as not including those ballot
papers.