Posters showing the steps required to register to vote at the four Near Boundary Polling Stations are displayed at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point in late November. The four stations, which will be set up near the Sheung Shui MTR station — one station away from the control point between the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region — are expected to help the electors who commute between the city and the mainland, to vote in the upcoming district council elections. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, on Monday said the online registration system for electors planning to cast their votes at the four boundary polling stations ran smoothly on its first day.

Four Near Boundary Polling Stations (NBPS) will be set up near Sheung Shui MTR Station, hosted by the Hong Kong Taoist Association Tang Hin Memorial Secondary School and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Kap Yan Directors' College, to cater for electors residing or studying on the Chinese mainland or those who need to travel to and from the mainland on polling day for the upcoming 2023 District Council Ordinary Election on Dec 10.

This is the first DC poll under the new electoral system, which will return 88 district councilors from the 44 geographical constituencies and 176 district councilors from the District Committee constituency

Up until 6 pm on Dec 5, electors of the 44 District Council geographical constituencies can register to vote at the NBPS via the online registration system, available at www.reo-form.gov.hk/nbps.htm.

The maximum number of registrations for the NBPS is set at 38,000, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, according to a spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office.

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Speaking at Legislative Council, Tsang said that there is no specific target for voter turnout. However, he said it is hoped to encourage residents through educational campaigns to understand the advantages of the new electoral system and participate in voting.

He said Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki, along with Hong Kong SAR government staff associations, have filmed videos to encourage civil servants to vote, adding that the government will also make flexible work arrangements to allow civil servants to cast their votes on the day.

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A total of 399 people qualified to run for the District Council Ordinary Election on Dec 10. This is the first DC poll under the new electoral system, which will return 88 district councilors from the 44 geographical constituencies and 176 district councilors from the District Committee constituency. The remaining members of the seventh-term District Councils will be 27 ex-officio members and 179 appointed members. The term of office, which will begin on Jan 1, 2024, lasts four years.