XN000022-1991-05-06 — Page 5

MONDAY, MAY 6, 1991

MC ELECTIONS VOTER TURNOUT RATE SATISFACTORY

THE VOTER TURNOUT RATE AND THE NUMBER OF VOTERS WHO TURNED UP FOR THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS WERE SATISFACTORY, THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, MR MICHAEL SUEN, SAID LAST (SUNDAY) NIGHT.

SPEAKING AT HIS THIRD PRESS BRIEFING ON THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS, MR SUEN SAID THAT WHEN THE POLL ENDED AT 10.30 PM, 393,932 PEOPLE HAD CAST THEIR VOTES, REPRESENTING 23.11 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL VOTER POPULATION.

THIS YEAR'S FIGURE OBVIOUSLY OUTNUMBERED THE 213,200 PEOPLE OR 17.6 PER CENT WHO VOTED IN THE LAST MUNICIPAL COUNCIL FLECTIONS IN 1989.

HE ATTRIBUTED THE HIGHER VOTER TURNOUT RATE TO THE FACT THAT 1991 WAS A YEAR OF ELECTIONS. MANY PEOPLE WERE AWARE THAT THE THREE- TIER ELECTIONS WERE HELD IN DIFFERENT MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.

THE SYSTEMATIC PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN FOR THIS YEAR'S MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS LAUNCHED IN MARCH HELPED BOOST THE VOTER TURNOUT RATE, HE SAID.

THE SECRETARY NOTED THAT THE DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS IN MARCH AND THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS HAD PROVED THAT THERE WAS A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VOTER TURNOUT RATE AND THE HABIT OF RESIDENTS DURING HOLIDAYS. THEY USUALLY TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE WHEN THEY LEFT THEIR HOMES.

MR SUEN SAID THAT THEY HAD THE CHANCE TO VOTE MOST OF THE TIME DURING SUNDAYS WHEN THEY WERE NOT REQUIRED TO GO TO WORK.

"WE WOULD CONSIDER WAYS TO STRENGTHEN THE EFFECTS OF THE SUNDAY ELECTIONS. FOR INSTANCE, ENCOURAGING MORE PEOPLE TO VOTE IN THE MORNING SO AS TO TRIGGER A HIGHER VOTER TURNOUT RATE," HE SAID.

MR SUEN POINTED OUT THAT THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS WERE CONDUCTED SMOOTHLY YESTERDAY WITHOUT ANY COMPLAINTS LODGED. THE ORDER AT VARIOUS POLLING STATIONS WAS GENERALLY GOOD AND THE AUTHORITIES CONCERNED HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY COMPLAINTS FROM CANDIDATES PEOPLE CONCERNING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ELECTIONS.

OR OTHER

THE SECRETARY SAID THAT HE HOPED AND TRUSTED THE VOTER TURNOUT RATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS WOULD FAR EXCEED THAT IN YESTERDAY'S MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS AND THE DB ELECTIONS IN MARCH.

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