The Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election, Mr Seng Ioi Man, said today that all arrangements for the Legislative Assembly Election, to take place on Sunday (14 September), have been completed, including preparations for ballot issuance and counting, as well as staffing provisions.
Speaking to reporters after inspecting several polling stations, Mr Seng encouraged voters to value their right to vote and to participate actively in electing representatives to the new-term Legislative Assembly.
The Electoral Affairs Commission has recently inspected all polling stations, located across 37 venues, comprising 38 stations for the direct election, five stations for the indirect election process, and additional backup facilities. Following the inspection tour, optimisation measures were introduced to enhance voter convenience. Polling station staff have also conducted on-site rehearsals, including contingency drills.
On Sunday, a range of special measures will be in place to support voters. These include the establishment of 29 service stations to provide election information, polling station details, and transport assistance; and free shuttle services for voters with special needs.
Public bus services and the light rail transit system will be free of charge throughout election day, supplemented by five dedicated free shuttle routes. Four of these depart respectively from the Border Gate, Qingmao Port, Hengqin Port, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Macao Port, and operate to the Macao Forum polling station – the latter is the designated polling station for voters registered with residential addresses outside Macao. A fifth route will serve University of Macau staff and students, connecting the university campus with the Taipa Olympic Stadium polling station. Additional pick-up and drop-off points, together with staff assistance, will help streamline the voting process.
Polling stations will be open for a total of 12 consecutive hours, from 9am to 9pm. Voters can confirm their assigned station via the Macao One Account platform or by calling the election hotline, via 28914 914.
To ensure vote validity, voters must use the designated stamp to mark the blue square next to their chosen candidate list, fold the ballot inward to preserve secrecy, and place it into the ballot box. The use of mobile phones and ballot photography are strictly prohibited inside polling stations.
From 9am tomorrow, real-time updates on queues at polling stations will be available on the election website (https://www.eal.gov.mo/zh_hant/voteWait.html), the Macao One Account platform, and TDM services.
The Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission also reminded all voters, including representatives of legal-person voters, to bring their physical ID card to their designated polling station in order to exercise their civic right and duty of electing patriotic representatives to the new-term Legislative Assembly. Voting, he said, is essential to consolidating the “One country, two systems” principle and advancing the principle of “patriots governing Macao”.
The official campaign period concluded at midnight on 12 September. Mr Seng said that throughout the campaign, order and engagement had been satisfactory, highlighting that campaigning activities had been conducted in an orderly manner, with the intended goals achieved. The Electoral Affairs Commission observed that the active and diverse campaigning efforts of all candidate lists had enabled voters to gain a comprehensive understanding of each list’s political platform. On Sunday, voters were expected to proceed to their designated polling station to cast their vote for their chosen candidate list.
The Electoral Affairs Commission further reminded the public that during today’s cooling-off period and on election day itself, all forms of campaigning are strictly prohibited.
