Hong Kong Regulations

ELECTORAL PROCEDURE (VILLAGE REPRESENTATIVE ELECTION) REGULATION - SECT 45

Issue of ballot paper

(1) If, at a polling station used for polling for only one Village, a person
applies for a ballot paper at the issuing desk, the polling  officer manning
the desk shall, upon being satisfied by inspecting the person's
identity document that the person is an elector registered in the
final register for the Village, issue to the person-

   (a)  one ballot paper to be used for the election for the Village; and

   (b)  a chop provided under section 33(4) for marking the ballot paper.

(2) If, at a polling station used for polling for more than one Village, a
person applies for a ballot paper at the issuing desk, the polling officer
manning the desk shall, upon being satisfied by inspecting the person's
identity document that-

   (a)  the person is an elector registered in the final register for one of
        the Villages for which the polling station is used for polling, issue
        to the person-

        (i)    one ballot paper to be used for the election for that Village;
               and

        (ii)   a chop provided under section 33(4) for marking the ballot
               paper; or

   (b)  the person is an elector registered in the final registers for more
        than one Village for which the polling station is used for polling,
        issue to the person-

        (i)    subject to subsection (3), one ballot paper to be used for the
               election for each of those Villages; and

        (ii)   a chop provided under section 33(4) for marking those ballot
               papers.

(3) If a person referred to in subsection (2)(b) does not wish to cast all the
votes which he is entitled to cast for the Villages for which the
polling station is used for polling or he does not wish to do so at the same
time, he-

   (a)  shall be issued, upon his application, one ballot paper to be used for
        the election for the Village for which he is going to cast his vote;
        and

   (b)  may cast his remaining vote later, before the close of the poll

(whether he has left and subsequently returns to the polling station or he has
not left the polling station).

(4) For the purposes of subsections (1), (2) and (3), where the person is an
elector registered in a final register-

   (a)  for an Existing Village, he must be issued a ballot paper to be used
        for an election for an Existing Village;

   (b)  for an Indigenous Village, he must be issued a ballot paper to be used
        for an election for an Indigenous Village; or

   (c)  for a Composite Indigenous Village, he must be issued a ballot paper
        to be used for an election for a Composite Indigenous Village.

(5) Before a ballot paper or ballot papers are issued to an elector, the
polling officer shall call out the name of the elector as stated in the copy
of the relevant final register or registers in that officer's possession.

(6) To ensure that the correct ballot paper or ballot papers are issued to an
elector, the polling officer may require the elector to verify the entry
relating to him in the relevant final register or registers.

(7) A person shall not be prevented from voting only because of an omission or
inaccuracy of a particular required to be registered in the relevant
final register, other than the omission of his name and, where applicable, his
principal residential address.

(8) If a ballot paper or ballot papers are issued to an elector, the
polling officer shall, subject to subsection (9), record that a ballot paper
or ballot papers have been so issued by one or both of the following means-

   (a)  placing a line in the copy of the relevant final register or registers
        in that officer's possession across the name and, where applicable,
        the principal residential address of the elector;

   (b)  marking the copy of the relevant final register or registers in that
        officer's possession in such other manner as the Director of Home
        Affairs may direct.

(9) No record shall be made of the particular ballot paper or ballot papers
issued to an elector.