CAEAL sees no signs of low voter turnout for Sept. 14 election

The upcoming September 14 Legislative Assembly direct and indirect elections will go ahead as planned, with the Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election (CAEAL) reporting no indications of a potential low voter turnout.

The CAEAL held a post-meeting press briefing yesterday, during which president Seng Ioi Man stated, “The CAEAL does not observe any signs of low voter turnout for the upcoming elections.”

He emphasized that the CAEAL will proceed with the election process as mandated by law and will move to the next phase, adding that it aims to create optimal conditions for all candidate groups to effectively communicate their political platforms and campaign visions to the public, prioritizing services that benefit society.

According to Seng, the CAEAL plans to share information about the campaign platforms of various candidate groups.

He stated, “By distributing this information in print across Macau and making it available online, we believe it will enhance residents’ understanding of the candidates’ proposals, empowering voters to make informed decisions when casting their votes in the upcoming elections.”

Seng underlined that the CAEAL continues to monitor and regulate acts of openly inciting others to cast blank votes, abstain from voting, or cast invalid votes. At present, no serious cases of such activities being carried out outside Macau have been identified.

He reaffirmed that cooperation between local law enforcement and agencies beyond Macau remains effective in combating criminal activities and expressed confidence that mechanisms are in place to address these behaviors.

Campaign period set to begin Aug. 30

The campaign period will start on August 30 and conclude on September 12. During this time, the promotional kickoff event, which was previously canceled due to Covid-19 prevention measures during the seventh Legislative Assembly Election, will be rescheduled and held at Tap Seac Square on the morning of the first day.

“Election campaigning is crucial as it aims to create a fair platform and channel for publicity,” Seng pointed out while briefing the media about the CAEAL’s efforts. These efforts include setting up 25 street publicity boards in specific locations across the Macau Peninsula, Taipa, and Coloane districts, particularly in areas with ample space or high foot traffic.

According to Seng, the CAEAL has submitted a list of candidates to the Chief Executive, Sam Hou Fai, for campaign initiatives, which will be broadcast on the Chinese and Portuguese language channels of public broadcaster TDM.

This year, the number of venues for election campaign activities remains consistent with previous years, totaling 18. These venues will be divided into different time slots and allocated to various candidate groups through a lottery system.

The CAEAL issued its first set of guidelines in March, stipulating that candidate lists may utilize sound trucks for publicity.

Each candidate list can apply to use up to eight motor vehicles for sound publicity. The usage times and volume levels for these sound trucks will be regulated, and relevant safety standards must be verified by the competent authorities.

“With approximately one month left before the election campaign period, candidates and their teams should utilize this time for thorough preparation.

During the 14-day campaign, they should actively promote their election platforms to the public, clearly outlining how they intend to serve Macau,” Seng urged. He further emphasized, “Through a fair and competitive process, candidates should work to secure the electorate’s votes by showcasing their platforms, principles, and capabilities.”

The president announced that the CAEAL has finalized the design for direct election ballots. Adjustments have been made to the vertical spacing between categories to prevent accidental stamping on other options.

The ballot will continue to feature blue grid lines to clearly delineate the stamping area, and the spacing between boxes for each candidate list has been increased to help voters mark their choices more clearly, reducing the chances of invalid votes.

He once again urged voters to use the designated “checkmark” stamp to mark their votes, emphasizing that using any other tools will result in the votes being considered invalid.

18 cases investigated for violating campaigning prohibition

The prohibition on campaigning has been in effect since June 27 and has now surpassed one month. The CAEAL reported that, as of the press briefing, it had received 18 cases involving violations of campaign regulations or suspected violations, including allegations of defamation. After reviewing these cases, many were determined not to constitute campaigning and therefore did not violate the law, leading to their closure.

Among these cases, reports regarding the submission of candidate lists or political platforms by certain groups, as well as daily activities of candidates, were analyzed and found to be objective news reports unrelated to election campaigning.

However, in instances where there were “some indications” of irregularities, the CAEAL has referred these matters to enforcement authorities for further investigation. As of now, no cases have been referred to the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC), Seng stated.

He described the overall situation as “optimistic,” noting that the majority of candidate lists and the public are adhering to the CAEAL’s appeals, which reflects a strengthening public awareness of lawfulness and integrity.