Editorial | Polls must be fair, open and smooth in Hong Kong
- Proposals that aim to make voting easier for the disabled, pregnant or elderly need to be carefully considered so as not to damage public confidence in elections
With trust in the Hong Kong government at a very low level, every move by officials will be subject to closer scrutiny. The proposed changes to the polling arrangements in the Legislative Council elections in September are a case in point.
Given they affect the integrity of the city elections, it is in the public interest to thoroughly examine both pros and cons before deciding on the way forward.
Under the proposed guidelines issued by the Electoral Affairs Commission, voters who are disabled, pregnant or elderly may receive priority at the ballot box.
The district council polls last November saw many standing for hours in queues to vote, apparently due to a record turnout spurred by social unrest raging at the time. As many as 2.94 million people voted, compared with 1.47 million in the 2015 election.
There would not have been such queues across the districts had authorities foreseen a higher turnout and budgeted sufficient manpower.
