Smart ballot-box plan dragged to rubbish bin amid privacy concerns

Henry Siu

In a U-turn, the government has stopped the introduction of smart ballot boxes amid privacy concerns they would undermine voters' rights to cast a blank vote.

The Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau previously said smart ballot boxes are capable of verifying the validity of marked ballot papers and would be introduced in next year's Legislative Council election.

But within just two days, the bureau decided to withdraw the initiative after the backlash.

"The original intention of the proposal is to help voters confirm their ballots were marked correctly to further protect their voting rights," a bureau spokesman said. "After listening to opinions from lawmakers and the public, the government is willing to reconsider."

The bureau said it will continue to offer ballot-checking devices if requested and will no longer promote the use of smart ballot boxes.

Social welfare lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen, one of those who expressed privacy concerns, welcomed the move, adding that early communication could have prevented the turnaround.

He said the case shows that Legco is making reasonable proposals.

Tik said the government meant well as it wished to ensure people cast accurate votes, but introducing smart boxes would complicate the issue and lead to public concerns.

Authorities should improve public education to help the public exercise their voting rights, he said.

At the Legco panel of constitutional affairs on Monday, some lawmakers expressed concerns that the proposal may breach voters' confidentiality.

Some lawmakers also suggested adopting the original approach of setting up ballot-checking devices for voters to use voluntarily.

henry.siu@singtaonewscorp.com