Poll goal: Electoral Affairs Commission Chairman Justice Woo Kwok-hing said guidelines have been updated for use in the ordinary elections to be held on December 10.

Views are being sought on the proposed guidelines on election-related activities for the Election Committee Subsector Elections.

Electoral Affairs Commission Chairman Justice Woo Kwok-hing said the latest version is modelled on the guidelines for the last subsector by-elections last year. It has been updated for use in the ordinary elections to be held on December 10.

To reflect the latest amendments to the Chief Executive Election Ordinance, an interim register of the Election Committee members will be published within seven days after the conduct of the committee's subsector ordinary elections.

The existing register will continue be valid until the new committee's term of office begins on February 1, when a final register of the new members is to be published.

The proposed guidelines state that if a person is not a member of a district council, or a Hong Kong member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, or the Chairman, a Vice-chairman or a councillor of the Heung Yee Kuk Full Council, he or she is not qualified to be nominated as a candidate at an election of the respective subsector, or to be elected as a member.

Increased penalties for election-related offences

The increased penalty for offences relating to secrecy of votes, and unauthorised filming, photographing, audio/video recording within a polling station are specified in the proposed guidelines following the amended Electoral Affairs Commission (Electoral Procedure) (Election Committee) Regulation.

To align the electoral arrangements for the Election Committee Subsector Elections with those for the Legislative Council and District Council elections, the guidelines have clarified the type of ballot papers which are to be regarded as invalid and not be counted. They include ballot papers with the words "tendered", "unused" or "spoilt", or which are unmarked.

Also clarified are the types of questionable ballot papers, which will be separated for the returning officer to decide whether to count them.

The proposed guidelines can be downloaded at www.eac.gov.hk. The public can write to the commission on or before August 14, or express their views at a public forum on August 3. For enquiries, call 2891 1001.