Due to mental incapacity, judicial ruling, death
The Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) said yesterday that since the beginning of this year, about 4,520 registered direct election voters have been removed from the electoral roll due to mental incapacity, judicial ruling, or death.
Speaking to reporters after chairing a regular closed-door meeting of the commission at the Public Administration Building on Rua do Campo yesterday, CAEAL President Seng Ioi Man pointed out that as of the end of last year, 333,391 registered direct election voters had been included in the electoral roll, slated to be eligible to cast their ballots in the 2025 direct legislative election, which will take place on September 14.
Macau’s direct and indirect Legislative Assembly (AL) elections are held every four years.
For a direct legislative election held in a particular year, permanent residents aged 18 or over who had been included in the electoral roll as of the end of the previous year are eligible to cast their ballots.
While the minimum age for casting one’s ballot is 18, those who have reached the age of 17 are entitled to be included in the electoral roll in advance. If they have reached the age of 18 on polling day, they will then be eligible to cast their ballots.
Seng also said yesterday that about 260 permanent residents aged 17 who had been included in the electoral roll as of the end of last year will not have reached the age of 18 on polling day of the 2025 direct legislative election, meaning that they will not be eligible to vote this time.
Consequently, there will be a decrease of about 4,780 direct election voters eligible to cast their ballots on September 14 from the 333,391 included in the electoral roll as of the end of last year. In other words, Seng noted, the total number of registered voters eligible to cast their ballots in next month’s direct election now stands at about 328,610, pointing out that the number of eligible voters would possibly drop a bit further as there are still a few weeks left before polling day.
According to the Legislative Assembly Election Law, three groups of individuals are ineligible to vote in the direct legislative election, namely those declared mentally incapacitated by a court ruling; those admitted to psychiatric institutions due to insanity, or declared insane by a panel of three doctors; and those deprived of their political rights by a court ruling. If those who have already been included in the electoral roll fall into one of the three circumstances, they will be removed from the electoral roll.
Neutrality & impartiality
Meanwhile, Seng also pointed out yesterday that while public servants and staff members of public enterprises or concessionaires are obligated to maintain legislative election-related neutrality when performing their duties, they possess the right as citizens to participate in election campaign activities outside working hours and to cast their ballots on polling day.
According to the Legislative Assembly Election Law, public entities, public enterprises, and concessionaires must adhere to the principle of election-related neutrality and impartiality, according to which they are barred from participating in any election campaign activities.
Seng said that his commission has recently received enquiries concerning the obligations – in relation to the legislative elections – of neutrality and impartiality for public entities, public enterprises, and concessionaires, as well as enquiries regarding the voting rights of public servants and staff members of public enterprises or concessionaires.
Seng noted that according to the Legislative Assembly Election Law, any public entities and any companies required to maintain operations on polling day must allow their employees to visit polling stations to cast their ballots during their respective work shifts.
Consequently, Seng said, public entities, public enterprises, and concessionaires should put in place proper arrangements to facilitate voting for on-duty workers, including providing transportation between the workplace and polling stations. However, Seng said, the respective entities are barred from engaging in any election campaign activities while providing the transportation, in order to ensure neutrality and impartiality.
Moreover, Seng also said that community associations do not need to suspend their normal activities and services in the run-up to, and on polling day. Public entities, public enterprises, and concessionaires can continue their cooperation with community associations in organising normal activities, provided they are kept separate from any election-related campaigns, Seng said.
Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL) President Seng Ioi Man (3rd from right) addresses yesterday’s press briefing at the Public Administration Building, flanked by fellow commission members (from left to right) Louie Wong Lok I, Mak Kim Meng, Lai U Hou, Ng Wai Han, and Daisy Ho In Mui. – Photo: GCS
