Organisations and individuals wishing to register or amend their names and emblems with the Electoral Affairs Commission for the 2006 registration cycle must do so by April 18.

The Registration & Electoral Office said today that under the Particulars Relating to Candidates on Ballot Papers (Legislative Council) Regulation, candidates can apply to have specified particulars printed on the ballot papers used in a Legislative Council general election or by-election. These can include names, abbreviations and emblems of a prescribed body, the words 'Independent Candidate' or the words 'Non-affiliated Candidate', as well as the emblem and personal photograph of a candidate.

The commission said though applications can be submitted any time, only those that reach the statutory deadline can be processed within the registration cycle in that year. Those received after the cut-off date of April 18 will be processed in the next cycle.

All applications will be carefully considered in accordance with criteria and procedures set out in the regulation. Details of successful applications will be gazetted, and open to public inspection at the Registration & Electoral Office. Application forms can be downloaded here. For enquiries call 2891 1001.