Details explained: Electoral Affairs Commission Chairman Justice Woo Kwok-hing briefs the media.

The Electoral Affairs Commission has examined the ballot paper accounts of four functional constituencies and found the figures are similar to the voter turnout rates.

Commission Chairman Justice Woo Kwok-hing reiterated the polls were conducted in an open, fair and honest manner, and apologised for the inconvenience caused by insufficient ballot boxes, clarifying he did not blame electors for the problem. Ballot boxes opened during the polling hours were handled according to the law, he added.

Justice Woo said the ballot accounts for the social welfare, labour, accountancy and health services sectors were 8,539, 458, 12,324 and 22,037. The voter turnout rates were 8,538, 455, 12,323 and 22,035.

He said the differences were small, and did not rule out the possibility that some voters might take ballot papers away. On discrepancies between the final figures and the provisional ones, he said the provisionals were for reference only.

Zero elector complaints over ballot-box shortage

Justice Woo admitted the design of ballot boxes and ballot papers and the logistics in supplying extra ballot boxes to polling stations may not have been ideal.

About 2,000 extra ballot boxes were used on Sunday, and so far no voters have lodged complaints about not being able to cast ballots due to box arrangements.

"Where polling stations were short of ballot boxes, the voting process was delayed. Some of the voting stations were crowded. Would that put off electors? I don't believe that electors have been put off from casting their vote," he said.

"Even in a very crowded polling station at Robinson Road, which I visited about 6.30pm, there were a lot of voters lining up to cast their votes. As a result, we actually extended that polling station to accommodate more electors, to increase issuing desks for the electors to alleviate the situation. I do not believe voters were put off because of this."

As stipulated in clauses 4b, 4h and 5g of the Electoral Affairs Commission Ordinance, commission members have the right to empower polling station staff to open the ballot boxes and tidy up the ballot papers. When doing so, candidates' agents or Police must be present to witness the process.

Justice Woo said the move aims to create more room inside ballot boxes. As all 15,000 polling station staff were politically neutral civil servants, the move favoured no political groups or candidates.

Complaints to be investigated

When questioned over allegations that an election agent was asked to leave the polling station after the close of polling hours, Justice Woo said a candidate, an election agent, and an accounting agent can stay in the station while it closes in preparation for the counting of votes.

"It really depends on the status of the person asked to leave. If he qualifies as a candidate, or an election agent or a counting agent, of course the presiding officer asking him to leave would be not in accordance with the law," he said.

"But if the person's status is not one of those mentioned in the provision, we have to understand why. We have to investigate into the facts and examine the evidence which is more credible and we have to decide one way or the other."

The commission has asked the presiding officer concerned to submit a report for investigation. Justice Woo said if any candidate is dissatisfied with the election result or with anything done in the election, they can present an election petition to the court to question the result, to question the election or the propriety of the election.

He said the commission will conduct a comprehensive review of the election, and submit it to the Chief Executive within three months. The findings will help improve future election arrangements.