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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1994
LOCATION OF POLLING STATIONS
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FOLLOWING IS A QUESTION BY THE HON EMILY LAU WAI-HING AND A WRITTEN REPLY BY THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, MR NICHOLAS NG, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY):
QUESTION: IN VIEW OF THE COMPLAINTS MADE BY SOME VOTERS THAT CERTAIN POLLING STATIONS WERE LOCATED AT TOO FAR A DISTANCE FROM RESIDENTIAL AREAS CAUSING INCONVENIENCE TO VOTERS, WILL THE GOVERNMENT INFORM THIS COUNCIL :
(A) OF THE NUMBER OF POLLING STATIONS WHOSE LOCATIONS WERE NOT CLOSE TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS RESULTING IN VOTERS HAVING TO WALK MORE THAN HALF-A-KILOMETRE IN ORDER TO GET THERE; AND
(B)
WHETHER CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO OPENING UP MORE POLLING STATIONS TO FACILITATE VOTING AND THEREBY BOOSTING THE TURN-OUT RATE OF VOTERS?
REPLY:
IT IS NOT PRACTICABLE TO LOCATE AND DESIGNATE A POLLING STATION WITHIN A RIGID DISTANCE FROM THE MAIN POCKETS OF POPULATION IN THE CONSTITUENCY. THE MAIN CONSIDERATIONS FOR CHOOSING A POLLING STATION ARE WHETHER IT IS CENTRALLY LOCATED IN A CONSTITUENCY, EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND WELL KNOWN TO THE LOCAL RESIDENTS. POLLING STATIONS ARE LOCATED IN OR AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE MAIN RESIDENTIAL AREAS WITHIN THE CONSTITUENCY. FURTHERMORE, DEPENDING ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL SPREAD OF POPULATION, SOME CONSTITUENCIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN RURAL AREAS, HAVE MORE THAN ONE POLLING STATION TO FACILITATE VOTING.
THE
IN THIS RESPECT, FOR THE LAST DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS, A TOTAL OF 442 POLLING STATIONS HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED FOR THE 346 DISTRICT BOARD CONSTITUENCIES. DESPITE THESE ARRANGEMENTS, IT IS UNAVOIDABLE THAT ELECTORS WHO LIVE AWAY FROM THE POLLING STATION MAY
TO HAVE TRAVEL A SLIGHTLY LONGER DISTANCE THAN THE MAJORITY OF ELECTORS WHO SHOULD BE RELATIVELY CLOSE TO THE POLLING STATION CHOSEN FOR THE CONSTITUENCY.
L
A
THE
THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION IS CURRENTLY CONDUCTING REVIEW OF THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE LAST DB ELECTIONS. REVIEW WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND THE FEEDBACK FROM THE PARTIES CONCERNED. DEPENDING ON THE OUTCOME OF THE REVIEW,
ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT POLLING STATIONS MAY BE DESIGNATED TO FURTHER FACILITATE ELECTORS TO TURN UP TO VOTE.
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