Hong Kong lawmakers raise privacy concerns over ‘smart ballot boxes’ for elections
Government aims to introduce technology that would check ballots as they are submitted and sound alarm if any irregularity is found
The new technology was among a package of measures proposed by the government aimed at enhancing the efficiency of elections through using advanced technology.
The system, currently being developed and tested, will use a sensor to read the ballot paper to check whether it has been properly marked. If an irregularity is found, the system will immediately alert the voter to review their ballot paper.
Briefing lawmakers at a Legislative Council panel meeting on Monday, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai said the technology could help reduce the number of questionable or invalid voting slips and thus speed up the counting process.
While lawmakers in general supported using more technology in elections, they expressed concerns over the potential implications of the sensors.
“Voter secrecy is a fundamental principle. Now the machine can know if you have marked the ballot paper properly. Will it know who you have voted for?” lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen, of the centrist party Third Side, said.
He questioned the need for such a system, as the rate of invalid votes in past elections was relatively low. It was 2 per cent in Legco geographical constituency elections in 2021, 1.52 per cent in 2016 and 1.49 per cent in 2012, according to official records.
