The Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election has urged voters to pay close attention to the correct polling procedures, adding that voting will be completely confidential.
The Chairman of the Commission, Mr Tong Hio Fong, today issued the reminder as he toured a mock polling station set up at the Macau Forum building. The mock station will remain open up to and including Friday (15 September), and is being provided to inform the public about correct voting procedures in order to minimise the number of spoilt ballots.
The Legislative Assembly elections are to be held on Sunday (17 September). All 42 polling stations – in aggregate covering the direct and indirect elections – will be open from 9am to 9pm on that day.
Each voter is required to show his or her identification document in order to receive a ballot paper at the appropriate designated polling station. A valid ballot should feature a single “check” mark – by using the official chop provided at polling stations – affixed inside the blue-coloured box located between the number of the candidate lists and their respective names.
Mr Tong reiterated that a ballot would be considered invalid if it were stamped in more than one place; or stamped in any box on the ballot paper that was reserved for any election team that had given notice of withdrawal from the election.
Voting will be completely confidential. There will not be any recording device set up inside voting booths and booths will be covered from top to bottom with translucent curtains, Mr Tong reassured the public.
Voters are not allowed to use mobile phones and other recording devices inside the polling stations and to take photograph of ballot paper. It is also prohibited to disclose and ask one’s vote or voting intentions within a distance of 100 metres from the polling station.
Election campaigning activities are prohibited during the compulsory cooling-off period set for Saturday (16 September) and on Sunday.
The Legislative Assembly Election Law also prohibits, during these two days, any display in public of clothing containing numbers or symbols for any election team; and of any material in relation to any election team. Failure to follow these instructions may amount to a criminal offence, and lead the person involved to face the risk of imprisonment and the recording of a criminal conviction against their name.
In addition, Mr Tong said the Commission had been paying close attention to the weather forecast for Sunday and had contingency plans in the event of adverse weather.
When asked by reporters, the Chairman stated the Legislative Assembly Election Law only stipulates that public entities and specific organisations have to remain impartial in the election: private organisations, such as non-Government-run schools, were not regulated in this aspect. He urged such schools however to take this election as an opportunity to promote awareness of fair and just election practices and to educate students to fulfil their civic responsibilities.
Regarding any refusal by the Commission of an election team’s request to gather at a public venue, Mr Tong said such refusal would have been with reference to available schedules at the 19 public venues designated by the Commission for such activities, and to ensure the use of public resources – shared by all election teams – occurred in a just manner.
