The ICAC noticed that appeals have been made on the Internet to members of the public for casting blank votes at the 2021 Legislative Council General Election which opens for nominations today (October 30).

The Commission reminds members of the public that any person inciting another person not to vote or to cast an invalid vote by activity in public during election period is an illegal conduct in breach of Section 27A of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance (ECICO). The offence warrants a maximum penalty of a three-year imprisonment and a fine of $200,000.

The ECICO stipulates that activity in public includes any form of communication to the public, and the distribution or dissemination of any matter to the public. The ECICO is applicable to all election-related conducts, regardless of whether the conducts are engaged in Hong Kong or elsewhere.

The ICAC will take resolute enforcement actions to combat conducts manipulating and sabotaging the election, and will request the relevant social media platforms or websites to remove illicit contents. The Commission urges members of the public to abide by the law, and not to engage in illegal appeals or repost any unlawful contents in order to uphold a fair and clean election.