A bill will be gazetted April 30 ensuring prisoner voting rights will be implemented under a consistent and integral legal framework with proper polling and security arrangements, the Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau says.

The Voting by Imprisoned Persons Bill will remove the disqualification of prisoners and people convicted of election-related or bribery offences from being registered as electors and from voting under the Legislative Council Ordinance.

It also provides for similar changes to the disqualification provisions under the Chief Executive Election Ordinance, the District Councils Ordinance and the Village Representative Election Ordinance.

The Electoral Affairs Commission is working with law-enforcement agencies on the practical voting arrangements for prisoners, remanded unconvicted people and detainees, and will prepare revisions to electoral laws.

The bill will be tabled at the Legislative Council on May 6 for enactment within the 2008-09 legislative session.