The chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC), David Lok on Sunday said that he was confident the District Council elections would be conducted in an open, honest, and fair manner, and that the polling and counting of votes would be smooth and completed within a reasonable time.

Accompanied by other members of the EAC, Lok inspected a polling station at Yaumati Catholic Primary School in Yau Ma Tei.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Lok said that the polling station was operating smoothly, adding that as of 10.30am, the three geographical constituencies with the highest turnout were Kwun Tong, followed by Kwai Tsing and Wong Tai Sin.

Lok also pointed out that it is inappropriate to compare the turnout rates of this year’s elections to the 2019 ones directly, saying that the composition of the District Council, the electoral base, and the voting system are all different.

He added that the EAC has always avoided making any comments or predictions about turnout. He said that their responsibility is to monitor the election and ensure that it is conducted in a smooth, fair, and just manner.

“I always compared the EAC to referees in a football match. We would not comment on how many people attended the match. But if more people attended, we would be happy. So again we urge all citizens to vote,” he said.

As of 11.30 am, 398,930 people – or about 9.21 percent of eligible voters for geographical constituencies have cast their ballots.