Hong Kong Regulations

ELECTORAL PROCEDURE (VILLAGE REPRESENTATIVE ELECTION) REGULATION - SECT 20

Returning Officer to declare termination of election proceedings and procedure after termination

(1) A declaration under section 30(1) of the Election Ordinance shall be made
by the Returning Officer by notice-

   (a)  signed by that Officer;

   (b)  displayed in a prominent place immediately outside each polling 
        station used for polling for the Village concerned; and

   (c)  stating the reason for, and the date and time of, the termination of
        the proceedings for the election concerned.

(2) A notice under subsection (1) shall be published in the Gazette as soon as
practicable after the declaration referred to in that subsection is made.

(3) If the death or disqualification of a validly nominated candidate, which
is the reason for the termination of the election proceedings, comes to the
knowledge of the Returning Officer on the date of election but before the
close of the poll for the Village, that Officer shall direct that the poll be
abandoned.

(4) When a poll is abandoned under this section, the Presiding  Officer at the
polling station or each polling station used for polling for the Village shall
take the steps he is required to take under this Regulation for the delivery
to the Returning Officer of the ballot box or ballot boxes, ballot papers and
other materials relating to the election at the close of the poll.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (4), the requirement in section  54
relating to the preparation of a ballot paper account does not apply.

(6) The Returning Officer shall-

   (a)  open the ballot box or ballot boxes delivered to him; and

   (b)  make up into separate sealed packets-

        (i)    all ballot papers in the ballot box or each of the ballot
               boxes, without separating or counting them or counting the
               votes; and

        (ii)   all other ballot papers delivered to him from the polling 
               station or each polling station.

(7) Sections 70 and 71 apply to the ballot papers and materials delivered to
the Returning Officer under subsection (4) as if they were ballot papers and
documents sent to the Director of Home Affairs under section 69.

(8) When a poll is abandoned under this section, the Returning  Officer shall,
as far as practicable and in such manner as that Officer considers
appropriate, notify-

   (a)  the Commission;

   (b)  the Director of Home Affairs; and

   (c)  the candidates for election for the Village or their respective
        election agents.

(9) If a declaration referred to in subsection (1) is made, a
village by-election shall be arranged, subject to section 21(2) and (3) of the
Election Ordinance, under section 21(1) of that Ordinance.