A total of 5,001 eligible voters cast ballots in today’s election to select members of the Chief Executive Election Committee. The tally represented a turnout rate of 87.20 percent.

The Electoral Affairs Commission for the Chief Executive Election tonight announced that – based on the preliminary result of the polling for membership of the Chief Executive Election Committee – 4,743 ballots had been recorded.  There were 28 blank votes and 230 ballots adjudged as void.

A list has been uploaded to the Chief Executive Election website (https://www.ece.gov.mo) containing information on the votes received by each candidate running for one of the available seats on the Chief Executive Election Committee.

The President of the Electoral Affairs Commission for the Chief Executive Election, Ms Song Man Lei, announced the figures in a press briefing after the polling procedures were completed.

The result would be audited tomorrow (17 June) by the General Audit Committee for the Chief Executive Election Committee.

According to the Chief Executive Election Law, the election results will be submitted to the Court of Final Appeal within two days upon completion of the general auditing process. Within a three-day period following receipt of confirmation of the election results from the Court of Final Appeal, the Electoral Affairs Commission for the Chief Executive Election will publish in the Macao SAR Gazette the list of the Chief Executive Election Committee members.

When speaking to reporters, Ms Song said the rate of turnout in Sunday’s voting was up on the nearly 82.69 percent recorded in 2014’s polling. The high voter turnout rate showed the active support from across the relevant community sectors and underlined the election system was recognised by the communities, said Ms Song.

In the press briefing, Ms Song said the polling process at the three stations went smoothly in general terms.

The Commission noted a temporary disruption to a computer system – caused by an unstable supply of electricity from a server – had occurred at the polling station located in the Escola Luso-Chinesa Técnico-Profissional. The disruption had not negatively affected the station’s operation.

Ms Song said a voter representing the industrial, commercial and financial sub-sectors was found allegedly using a mobile telephone to take a photograph of a ballot paper inside the polling booth. Such an act might amount to a criminal offence. The case had been referred to the police for investigation, she added.

The Commission had received complaints from polling station staff regarding amplifiers used by protesters outside a polling station. The Commission had communicated with the police regarding the matter. Ms Song stressed the right to protest was protected as long as it was done lawfully.