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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23. 1989
STUDY TO BE CONDUCTED ON COMPUTERISING VOTING AND VOTE COUNTS
THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO MAKE AN IN-DEPTH FEASIBILITY STUDY ON COMPUTERISING VOTING AND VOTE COUNTS IN FUTURE ELECTIONS, THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, MR MICHAEL SUEN. SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE PO LEUNG KUK BOARD OF DIRECTORS. MR SUEN SAID THE DECISION FOLLOWED A PRELIMINARY STUDY BY AN INTER-GOVERNMENTAL WORKING GROUP.
HE SAID FINDINGS BY THE WORKING GROUP HAD SHOWN THAT THE USE OF COMPUTERS IN ELECTIONS WAS FEASIBLE BUT IT WAS NECESSARY то LOOK DEEPER INTO THE FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL ASPECTS.
POTENTIAL
"AT PRESENT, OUR ELECTORAL ROLL CARRIES A TOTAL OF ABOUT 1.6 MILLION NAMES. REPRESENTING 45 PER CENT OF AN ESTIMATED ELECTORATE OF 3.6 MILLION, HE SAID.
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"NEXT SUMMER. BEFORE THE VARIOUS ELECTIONS TAKE PLACE IN 1991. WE HOPE TO MOUNT A MAJOR PROMOTTON CAMPAIGN AND OUR TARGET IS 2.2 MILLION REGISTERED ELECTORS.
"TO COPE WITH THE FUTURE CHALLENGES ARISING FROM AN EXPECTED INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ELECTORS. LATEST TECHNOLOGY SHOULD COME IN.
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IN VOTING. MR SUEN SAID THE EXISTING PRACTICE WAS A MANUAL POLL CARD SYSTEM WHICH DESIGNATED ELECTORS То SPECIFIED POLLING STATIONS ACCORDING TO THEIR REGISTERED ADDRESSES.
"THIS SYSTEM LACKS FLEXIBILITY AS SOME ELECTORS MIGHT FOR SOME REASONS BE UNABLE TO VOTE AT THEIR DESIGNATED POLLING STATIONS ALTHOUGH THEY MIGHT HAVE PASSED BY SOME OTHER POLLING STATIONS DURING THE DAY," HE SAID.
"COMPUTERISATION OF OUR RECORDS WILL THEREFORE NOT ONLY PROVIDE CONVENIENCE TO ELECTORS BUT ALSO BRING ABOUT A HIGHER POLLING RATE."
MR SUEN SAID WHAT WOULD BE NEEDED WAS A CENTRAL COMPUTER STORED WITH DATA ABOUT ALL REGISTERED ELECTORS AND CONNECTED TO SOME 1.750 TERMINALS IN POLLING STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY.
"THE TOTAL COST IS ESTIMATED TO TATE IN THE REGION OF $200 MILLION. HE SAID.
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"WHETHER THIS IS COST EFFECTIVE IN THE ALLOCATION FINANCIAL RESOURCES WILL NEED TO BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED.
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MR SUEN SAID THAT AS POLLING RATE WAS EXPECTED TO GO UP, THERE WAS ALSO THE NEED TO LOOK INTO THE COMPUTERISATION OF VOTE COUNTS.
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