Details unveiled: Electoral Affairs Commission member Prof Andrew Chan and Chairman Justice Pang Kin-kee show the proposed guidelines on election-related activities for the Legislative Council election.

The Electoral Affairs Commission is seeking views on proposed guidelines on election-related activities during the Legislative Council election. The consultation will end on April 23.

Commission Chairman Justice Pang Kin-kee called for written representations from the public, who can also express their views at a forum on April 10.

The election will be held September 7. The nomination period will run from July 19 to August 1.

Justice Pang said: "We have taken into account the operational experience of each election, as well as suggestions and complaints from the public and other parties concerned when drafting the proposed guidelines."

The guidelines have proposed a special arrangement for vote counting for geographical constituencies in case the counting stations, such as schools, will no longer be available or suitable for completing the vote counting. Under such cases the commission can direct the vote counting to take place at another counting station.

Elector privacy

Short message services have been covered in the guidelines on electioneering activities. Many electors consider canvassing SMS messages annoying and their disapproval may be reflected in their choice of candidates on the polling day.

Noting electors' privacy should be respected, the commission suggested candidates and their supporters maintain a list of electors they know who find such electioneering activities objectionable and avoid approaching them.

The proposed guidelines have highlighted some important principles the media and organisations conducting exit polls should observe.

Exit-poll arrangement

To better control conduct, people or bodies intending to conduct exit polls must provide details to the Registration & Electoral Office 10 days before polling day. The office will consider the application and issue approval to the concerned person or body as appropriate. A list of such people or bodies allowed to conduct exit polls together with their contact numbers will be released to the public prior to polling day and displayed at polling stations.

There have been occasions where exit-poll interviewers were mistaken to be government officials or polling staff. The proposed guidelines stipulate such interviewers must wear an identification device and make it known to electors the name of the organisation or person conducting the exit poll at the start of the interview.

The proposed guidelines can be viewed here. Comments and suggestions should be sent to the commission's secretariat at 10/F Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, faxed to 2511 1682 or emailed to eacenq@reo.gov.hk.