CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION
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In addition, district boards and the Urban Council and Regional Council have links with the Legislative Council. The district boards are grouped into 10 electoral college con- stituencies, each returning one member to the Legislative Council. The Urban Council and Regional Council each forms an electoral college constituency, each returning one member to the Legislative Council.
Electoral System for the Urban Council, Regional Council and District Boards
Elections to the Urban Council, Regional Council and district boards are on a geographical constituency basis and through a broad franchise. Practically everyone who is 21 years of age or over and who is a Hong Kong belonger, or has been resident in Hong Kong for the preceding seven years, is eligible to apply for registration as an elector in the constituency in which he lives. Registration of new electors is conducted on a voluntary basis annually in August and September. At the end of the year, the electoral roll carried 1 446 212 names, representing 44.2 per cent of an estimated total potential electorate of 3.3 million. Of these electors, 994 530 are resident in the Urban Council area and are entitled to vote at Urban Council elections and at district board elections in the Urban Council area. The remaining 451 682 are resident in the Regional Council area and are entitled to vote at Regional Council elections and at district board elections in the Regional Council area.
For district board elections, there are 145 constituencies, 83 in the 10 districts in the Urban Council area and 62 in the nine districts in the Regional Council area. For Urban Council elections, there are 15 constituencies, each consisting of a number of district board constituencies in the Urban Council area. The Regional Council has 12 constituencies, each covering a number of district board constituencies in the Regional Council area. There are altogether 237 elected district board members, 15 elected Urban Councillors and 12 elected Regional Councillors.
An elector may vote only in the constituency in which he has been registered. He may, however, stand for election to the Urban Council, the Regional Council or a district board in any constituency, provided he has been resident in Hong Kong for the preceding 10 or more years and his nomination is supported by 10 electors in that constituency. Elections are held on a three-year cycle, and voting is by simple majority.
At the Urban Council elections held in March, 39 candidates stood for election in the 15 constituencies. One was elected unopposed and the remaining 38 candidates contested the other 14 seats. Of the 944 844 electors in the contested constituencies, 218 573 cast their vote, giving a turnout of 23.1 per cent. The first Regional Council elections were held concurrently with the Urban Council elections. A total of 40 candidates were nominated in the 12 constituencies. One was elected unopposed and the remaining 39 candidates contested the other 11 seats. Of the 400 375 electors in the contested constituencies, 143 534 cast their vote, giving a turnover of 35.8 per cent.
Electoral System for the Legislative Council
The system for indirect election to the Legislative Council, introduced in 1985, involves an electoral college and nine functional constituencies. The electoral college comprises two special constituencies, the Urban Council and the Regional Council, and 10 district board constituencies, each returning one member to the Legislative Council. The functional constituencies, covering the commercial, industrial, financial, labour, social services, medical, legal, teaching and engineering, architectural, surveying and planning sectors, also return a total of 12 members.