Hong Kong Regulations

ELECTORAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION (ELECTORAL PROCEDURE) (DISTRICT COUNCILS) REGULATION - SECT 63

Steps to be taken at a polling station at the close of the poll

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

(1) As soon as practicable after the close of the poll at a polling  station,
the Presiding Officer must, in the presence of the persons, if any, who are
present within the polling station, take the following steps-

   (a)  seal each ballot box with a seal provided for that purpose or with any
        other device specified by the Chief Electoral Officer, so that a
        ballot paper or any other material cannot be introduced or withdrawn
        from the ballot box after it is sealed; and

   (b)  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.

(2) The Presiding Officer must then deliver the ballot box or boxes and the
sealed packets to the Returning Officer.

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

(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 of the votes. Accordingly, references to ballot  papers in relation
to the counting of the votes are to be construed as not including those
ballot papers.