XN000022-1994-10-26 — Page 66

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1994

TO FACILITATE THE REGISTRATION OF THIS POTENTIAL POOL OF 2.5 MILLION VOTERS FOR THE NINE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION INTENDS TO ASK ALL EMPLOYERS ΤΟ PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THEIR EMPLOYEES. THE REGISTRATION ARRANGEMENTS WILL ALSO BE MADE AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE AND THERE WILL BE WIDESPREAD PUBLICITY ON THE REGISTRATION EXERCISE WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE DURING THE FIRST HALF OF 1995.

ACCURACY OF THE VOTER REGISTER

SOME CONCERN HAS BEEN EXPRESSED ABOUT THE ACCURACY OF THE EXISTING GENERAL ELECTORAL ROLL AND THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW SENSATIONAL EXAMPLES OF INACCURACIES. NO VOTER REGISTER CAN BE 100 PER CENT ACCURATE ALL THE TIME, PARTICULARLY FOR HONG KONG WHERE PEOPLE HAVE HIGH MOBILITY. HOWEVER, THE GENERAL ELECTORAL ROLL CANNOT BE AS INACCURATE AS SOME REPORTS CLAIMED. ONLY 90,000 OR SOME 3.6 PER CENT OF THE OFFICIAL ELECTION MAIL IN THE LAST DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS WERE RETURNED UNDELIVERED. EVEN ALLOWING FOR CASES OF PERSONS WHO DID NOT BOTHER TO RETURN THE WRONGLY ADDRESSED ELECTION MAIL, OUR ESTIMATE IS THAT INACCURACIES IN THE CURRENT VOTER REGISTER SHOULD BE NOT MORE THAN 10 PER CENT.

THE REGISTRATION AND ELECTORAL OFFICER DOES INDEED TAKE GREAT PAIN TO ENSURE THE ACCURACY OF THE ELECTORAL

ROLL.

IT UNDERTAKES ANNUAL VETTING EXERCISES UNDER WHICH FORMAL INQUIRIES ARE SENT OUT TO ELECTORS WHOSE PARTICULARS ARE SUSPECTED TO BE INACCURATE. THE REGISTRATION AND ELECTORAL OFFICER ALSO UNDERTAKES SPECIAL MATCHING EXERCISES TO CROSS-CHECK ELECTORS' PARTICULARS AGAINST RECORDS KEPT BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND HOUSING SOCIETY, THE REGISTRATION AND PERSONS' OFFICE, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT AND THE POST OFFICE. IN MAJOR VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT CURRENT VOTERS IS OBTAINED AND THEIR PARTICULARS ARE UPDATED ACCORDINGLY. FOR INSTANCE, IN THE 1994 VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE, SOME 320,000 RECORDS OF EXISTING ELECTORS WERE UPDATED.

FOR THE 1995 LEGCO ELECTIONS, THE REGISTRATION ELECTORAL OFFICE HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING FIVE-POINT PRO-ACTIVE PLAN TO MAKE THE GENERAL ELECTORAL ROLL EVEN MORE ACCURATE :

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FIRST, MORE INTENSIVE PUBLICITY TO ELECTORS TO REPORT CHANGES OF PARTICULARS;

ENCOURAGE AND REMIND

SECOND, INTENSIVE FOLLOW-UP ON INFORMATION ABOUT CHANGES IN ELECTORS' PARTICULARS OBTAINED FROM THE LAST DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS;

THIRD, MORE FOCUSED AND TARGETTED APPROACH IN THE SPECIAL MATCHING EXERCISES AGAINST RECORDS KEPT BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS;

FOURTH, UPDATING THROUGH THE MAJOR VOTER REGISTRATION FOR THE NINE NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES; AND

DRIVE

/FIFTH,

INTRODUCING