The voting process for the 2024 election to choose members of the Chief Executive Election Committee has been completed. A total of 5,521 representatives of eligible legal-person voters cast a ballot, representing a voter turnout rate of 88.12 percent.
Both the total number of voters and the overall voter turnout reached record highs in the history of the Chief Executive Election Committee poll, reflecting the support for, and recognition of, the new election system across society.
The votes received by candidates – categorised by sectors and sub-sectors – have been uploaded to the Chief Executive Election website (www.ece.gov.mo).
The Electoral Affairs Commission for the Chief Executive Election announced the preliminary results of the election at 8.37pm. All polling stations had completed the vote-counting process by 8.20pm. After consolidating the data from all stations, it was shown there were 5,346 valid votes cast, representing 96.83 percent of the total votes cast. There were also 18 blank votes and 157 invalid votes, accounting for 0.33 percent and 2.84 percent the total votes cast, respectively.
In this election, both the number of legal-person voter nominating their representatives to vote on their behalf, and the number of voters participating in this election process, exceeded the previous election. The overall voter turnout also surpassed the previous election, which stood at 87.20 percent, indicating increased participation of legal-person voters in the electoral process.
Moreover, the seven sectors and sub-sectors eligible to take part in the poll for the Chief Executive Election Committee had actively organised campaigning activities during the campaign period, effectively communicating with legal-person voters. This signified the continuous enhancement of election culture in the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), aligning with the requirements of the “One country, two systems” principle, and demonstrating the steady development of high-quality democracy with Macao characteristics.
The Electoral Affairs Commission expresses gratitude to the legal-person voters and individual voters for actively participating in the process for the formation of the Chief Executive Election Committee. Their participation not only means exercise of their voting rights in accordance with the law, but also collectively contributes to safeguarding national security, further implementing the principle of “patriots governing Macao”, and making significant contributions to the long-term stability and development of the MSAR. Their participation holds profound significance.
Preliminary results for the 344 seats from today’s poll for the Chief Executive Election Committee are now available, in line with requirements under the election law.
The remaining seats of the 400-member Chief Executive Election Committee are filled by people nominated via, respectively: religious sector; Macao’s deputies to the National People's Congress as ex-officio members; and people elected through mutual selection among the members of the Legislative Assembly, Macao’s deputies to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and members of municipal organisations.
A new 400-member Chief Executive Election Committee with broad representation, will bear the significant responsibility of nominating and electing the new-term Chief Executive of the MSAR.
In terms of the profile of the individuals running for the Chief Executive Election Committee, they come from various sectors of Macao society, representing different industries and professions, thus reflecting the broad representativeness of the Chief Executive Election Committee.
Moreover, over 120 elected members are first-time candidates in the Chief Executive Election Committee, bringing fresh perspectives to the committee and rejuvenating its composition. Additionally, the average age of the elected members is younger compared to the previous term, signifying the continuity of the committee’s legacy. This also indicates that the younger generation in Macao is increasingly interested in, and actively participating in, the political activities of the MSAR.
The successful completion of the voting process, and preliminary tallying of the votes in this Chief Executive Election Committee election – along with the practical implementation of the national security safeguard mechanism introduced by the revised Chief Executive Election Law – fully embody the principle of “patriots governing Macao”.
All candidates submitted a declaration, as required by law during application for candidacy, regarding support for the Basic Law of the MSAR of the People's Republic of China; and pledged allegiance to the MSAR of the People's Republic of China. They all passed a review by the MSAR’s National Security Commission. This newly-established step for safeguarding national security during the Chief Executive Election Committee membership poll, ran smoothly and was completed successfully.
In the next phase of the election process, the Electoral Affairs Commission will actively prepare for the swearing-in of the 400 members of the Chief Executive Election Committee according to the newly-revised Oath-taking Law. This will serve as another significant step to implement the principle of “patriots governing Macao” from a legal and enforcement perspective.
In accordance with the Chief Executive Election Law, on the day following the day of completing all election procedures in relation to the Chief Executive Election Committee, the General Audit Committee will commence verifying the preliminary results. Verified results will be announced by the Chairman of the General Audit Committee, and will be immediately published in a notice.
The election results of the Chief Executive Election Committee will be submitted to the Court of Final Appeal within two days following completion of the general auditing work. Within three days of receiving the verified results from the Court of Final Appeal, the Electoral Affairs Commission will publish in the MSAR Official Gazette the list containing the names of all members of the Chief Executive Election Committee.
