In this Nov 15, 2023 photo, a woman walks in front of a giant banner installed in Sai Ying Pun by the Hong Kong government as part of its publicity campaign for the 2023 District Council Ordinary Election, which is scheduled to be held on Dec 10. (SHAMIM ASHRAF / CHINA DAILY)

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that he will go to a polling station to cast his vote with his wife on Sunday morning and expressed his hopes that the public will also do so after their morning tea or lunch.

Speaking to the press before the weekly Executive Council meeting, Lee urged residents to come out and vote in the 2023 District Council Ordinary Elections on Sunday.

Positive election vibes are spreading throughout the city and the government will host a District Council Election Fun Day on Saturday and an outdoor concert and drone show at the West Kowloon Cultural District on Saturday evening, which will be broadcast by seven media outlets. Arrangements for the distribution of tickets to the concert and drone show will be unveiled later, Lee said.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu urged members of the public to vote in the elections so as to improve communication between the district council and the populace. He added that the district councils are inextricably tied to the public’s lives as they represent the people’s interests throughout the year

Meanwhile, the Social Welfare Department has informed over 200 elderly care centers citywide that their residents are encouraged to vote and the SWD will sponsor the care centers in making arrangements to help the elderly to cast their votes, including arranging for them to travel to and from polling stations if necessary.

Lee said that such shuttle services are not meant to influence voter decisions and instead are only meant to assist voters in carrying out their civic duty.

It is normal practice for polling stations to make arrangements for those in need, Lee said.

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He urged members of the public to vote in the elections so as to improve communication between the district council and the populace. He added that the district councils are inextricably tied to the public’s lives as they represent the people’s interests throughout the year.

Sunday’s poll will see 176 district councilors returned by the District Committees constituencies and 88 members returned by the District Council geographical constituencies. Polling stations will open to voters at 8:30 am and close at 10:30 pm on Sunday. Other councilors, making up the total of 470, will include 179 appointed members and 27 ex-officio members.

The government will also set up near-boundary polling stations on Sunday for voters residing on the Chinese mainland and for those who plan to travel to the mainland on Sunday. Registration for those intending to use the near-boundary polling stations ends at 6 pm on Tuesday.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu speaks to the media ahead of an Executive Council meeting on Dec 5, 2023. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

Shuttle services will be provided for voters to and from Sheung Shui MTR station and the near-boundary polling stations on Sunday.

Lee said that he hopes to see a high voter turnout, and that the election will reflect the quality and performance of the candidates and the arrangements of the polling and vote-counting.

As of 6:00 pm on Monday, 11,427 voters had registered to vote at near-boundary polling stations, according to the Election Affairs Commission.

As for any calls online to boycott the vote or cast invalid votes, Lee stressed that it would be illegal to influence others to abstain from voting or to cast invalid ballots.

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Also on Tuesday, the city’s Independent Commission Against Corruption issued a warrant for the arrest of political commentator Wong Sai-chak, who wrote an online post allegedly aimed at inciting voters to boycott the upcoming DC elections. Wong faces three counts of engaging in illegal conduct to incite another person not to vote by activity in public during an election period, contrary to Section 27A(1)(a) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance.

On Tuesday afternoon, Man Wing-fung, a 38-year-old analyst programmer, appeared at Fanling MagistratesCourts on one count of engaging in illegal conduct to incite another person not to vote by activity in public during an election period. Man allegedly reposted Wong’s post on his personal social media page.

The ICAC reminded the public that encouraging others to boycott an election may be in violation of Section 27A of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance. Upon conviction, offenders may be liable to imprisonment for up to 3 years and a fine of HK$200,000 ($25,600).

According to the ordinance, the “election period” is defined as the period between the day on which nominations open and polling day — from Oct 17 to Dec 10 in the case of the District Council elections. “Activity in public” includes any form of communication with the public, including online social media posts, and the distribution or dissemination of any material to the public.

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The ICAC reminded the public that the ordinance has extraterritorial effect and applies to all conduct concerning an election, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere.