Arrangement for electors to return from the Mainland to Hong Kong to vote
Details of the Arrangement
- The HKSAR Government has decided to set up polling stations on the Hong Kong side of Hong Kong / Shenzhen boundary control points (hereafter “BCP Polling Stations”) to facilitate electors who are now in the Mainland to vote.
- Upon successful registration and satisfying the relevant specified conditions, electors who are now in the Mainland (not applicable to the electors of the Election Committee Constituency) can cast their votes at the BCP polling stations during the polling hours (from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.) of the 2021 Legislative Council General Election (2021 LCGE).
- In order not to increase the risk of spreading disease, the polling stations will adopt closed-loop management.
- Electors who have successfully registered for the Arrangement may be exempted from the centralized quarantine or medical surveillance requirement of the Mainland if they return to the Mainland immediately after casting the votes at BCP polling stations.
- To ensure that the Arrangement would be carried out in an orderly manner and to minimise the risk of spreading the disease, all electors who join the Arrangement must make prior registration.
Eligibility to register
- Any registered electors of the Geographical and Functional Constituencies of the 2021 LCGE.
- May login to the Online Voter Information Enquiry System to ascertain whether he / she is a registered elector.
- The Arrangement is not applicable to the electors of the Election Committee Constituency.
Quota
- The maximum registration quota for the three BCP polling stations would be 111 000, and the quota of each polling station is as follows:
BCP Polling Stations |
Quota |
Heung Yuen Wai |
33 000 |
Lo Wu |
42 000 |
Lok Ma Chau Spur Line |
36 000 |
- The quota will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.
Registration hours
- From 9 a.m on 1 December 2021 to 6 p.m. on 8 December 2021
Registration arrangement and process
Step 1: Login to the online registration system
Step 2: Provide information necessary for registration
- When registering, electors would need to provide:
- Chinese / English name;
- Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID) number;
- email address;
- contact telephone number (including telephone number at the HKSAR or the Mainland which can receive SMS);
- Hong Kong and Macao Residents Entry and Exit Permit (Home Return Permit) number. If an elector does not have a Home Return Permit, he / she may provide the number of a foreign passport or travel document used to enter the Mainland (though the elector would be responsible for ascertaining the visa arrangement for re-entering the Mainland); and
- the ordinarily residing area in the Mainland (province / municipality / autonomous region).
- Any person who uses the personal data provided in the online registration system without the express consent of the data subject for any purpose other than the purposes stated above may contravene the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486).
- Relevant information will be passed to the relevant departments in Hong Kong and the Mainland for the purposes of public health protection and immigration control.
Step 3: Choose the polling station and timeslot
- In the registration system, electors may choose the BCP polling station (i.e. choose one from Heung Yuen Wai, Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau Spur Line) that he / she would like to visit. Once confirmed, the elector must cast the vote(s) at the chosen BCP polling station; if electors arrive at any other non-chosen BCP polling stations, they will not be allowed to vote.
- Electors will also need to choose to vote at a specified timeslot (each hour will be counted as one slot) on the polling day.
Step 4: Wait for notification of registration result
- After submitting the application for registration, electors will be assigned a reference number.
- The REO will issue a notification of registration result to the elector via SMS and / or email within three days to confirm whether they have successfully registered to vote at the specified BCP polling station.
- An elector could only vote at the BCP polling station under the Arrangement if he / she has received a notification of registration confirming the successful registration.
Arrangement after registration
- After receiving the confirmation that the registration is successful, electors should take a COVID-19 nucleic acid test in one of the medical testing institutions recognised by the National Health Commission 48 hours before entering Hong Kong on the polling day. Electors will be asked to present the proof (either written or electronic are acceptable) of a valid negative nucleic acid test result when departing the Mainland and entering Hong Kong.
- In addition, electors would also need to present a Mainland “Green Health Code”.
- According to the latest requirement of Shenzhen on 17 December, the following persons could not enter Shenzhen:
- Persons from medium or high risk areas in the Mainland;
- persons who have stayed or visited districts or cities (municipality as districts) of the high risk areas in the past 14 days;
- persons who have stayed or visited counties (county-level cities, districts or banners) of the medium risk areas in the past 14 days;
- persons who are under medical surveillance; and
- persons who have been confirmed with COVID-19 in the past three months.
- For the risk level of various places in the Mainland, please refer to the risk level enquiry webpage maintained by the National Health Commission.
- Please note that if an elector fails to meet the above requirement, he / she may not be allowed to depart from the Mainland.
Documents to bring on the polling day
- On the polling day, when departing the Mainland and entering Hong Kong, electors would need to bring and present the following documents:
- the Home Return Permit or other travel document used by the elector to enter and leave the Mainland;
- the “notification of registration result” issued by the REO via SMS or email (both electronic and printed versions are acceptable);
- a valid negative nucleic acid test result issued within 48 hours by the aforementioned recognised institutions;
- Mainland “Green Health Code”; and
- HKID or other recognised proof of identity
- If an elector could not present the aforementioned documents, he / she may not be allowed to depart / enter.
Issues to note on the polling day
- Under the Arrangement, electors who have successfully registered must immediately return to the Mainland after casting the votes at the specified BCP polling station. Otherwise, the arrangement for exempting the quarantine requirement of Hong Kong and the Mainland would not be applicable.
- When entering and leaving the BCP polling stations, electors must wear face masks, use the hand sanitisers provided to clean their hands and maintain social distancing of one meter. Before entering the BCP polling station, staff from the Department of Health will check their body temperature.
Enquiry
- Email to: reoenq@reo.gov.hk
- Hotline: 2891 1001 (service hours: 8:45 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday)
Frequently asked questions
Message on Clean Elections
Code |
Name of Boundary Control Points Polling Stations |
Location Plan |
HYW01 |
Heung Yuen Wai |
Map |
LW001 |
Lo Wu |
Map |
LMC01 |
Lok Ma Chau Spur Line |
Map |