Chief Secretary Eric Chan on Sunday called on voters to visit polling stations as early as possible to avoid any rush in the evening.

Speaking to the media, Chan said it took him only less than two minutes to complete voting at a Sha Tin polling station in the morning, thanks to clear instructions from staff.

The chief secretary said he understands that people are still grieving for the deadly blaze in Tai Po, but stressed the new legislature plays a crucial role in assisting affected residents of the fire ravaged Wang Fuk Court and in pushing forward relevant reforms.

“I hope people can cast their ballots as soon as possible. Although the polling hours have been extended until 11.30 pm today, based on our past experience, more people usually appear at night. Therefore, if voters wish to queue for a shorter period, they should visit the polling stations early when there are not so many people,” he said.

Meanwhile, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang said the polling stations ran smoothly in the morning and the voting process only took a few minutes on average.

He said the election this year is of great importance to the steady and long-term implementation of “One Country, Two Systems” principle and good governance in Hong Kong.