From today onwards, public places like community centres, parks and lamp posts can be used as your legit registered address for local elections. BRB, we’re going to go relocate to the nearest bench because the rent is just too damn high these days.
Electoral Affairs Commission Chairman Barnabas Fung said they have received some bizarre addresses and discovered over 10 registered voters using public places as their voting abode, reports Apple Daily.
After looking into the individual cases, Fung was led to believe that the registered voters do indeed live at those locations, and accepted the addresses.
On the other hand, more than 40,000 registered voters were removed from the list after further investigation.
Recently, voters’ registered addresses have garnered a lot of publicity, with the media reporting on people using luxury hotels as addresses, or the elderly being registered without their consent.
Fung said if the commission suspected cases of duplication of voters’ addresses or names, or a sharp increase in voters’ registrations, it will call, mail or visit the addresses.
He also pointed out that voter registration is only one step in the process if someone were indeed trying to rig the votes, and that the commission has procedures in place to ensure voting transparency.
Responsible citizens can learn more at www.voterinfo.gov.hk.
Photo: Rob Reinhardt via Flickr
