Hong Kong’s ‘near-boundary’ voting experiment went multi-modal on election day with six polling stations operating inside major gateways: the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Passenger Clearance Building, Sheung Shui rail terminus, HKIA’s Terminal 2, as well as Macao-ferry and shuttle-bus halls. The model, first trialled in a limited form in 2021, allows voters who routinely cross the border for work or family reasons to cast ballots without leaving the immigration zone.
Each site is geofenced within customs areas and staffed jointly by Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) officers and Immigration Department personnel. Electronic voter rolls are synced across checkpoints to block duplicate voting. Signage in Cantonese, Mandarin and English funnels travellers towards the booths, while an ‘express channel’ diverts purely transit passengers if queues build.
![Six land-, sea- and air-checkpoint polling booths debut to serve cross-border commuters]()
Whether voters are making a same-day return or employers are coordinating cross-boundary commutes, having the right travel documents remains essential. VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) lets individuals and corporate mobility teams check the latest entry rules, secure China or Macao visas online and arrange passport services, all with real-time support—making border crossings smoother during election season or any other time.
For companies that shuttle staff between Hong Kong and mainland factories, the arrangement slashes downtime: employees can vote during routine commutes instead of staging overnight stays. Travel-management firms predict incremental productivity gains and smoother duty-of-care compliance.
Analysts see the move as part of a broader ‘Border 2.0’ vision in which civic, customs and even commercial services share gateway real estate. If the six-station pilot proves successful, the EAC may add Lo Wu and Wan Chai Ferry Pier to the roster for the next election cycle.
Each site is geofenced within customs areas and staffed jointly by Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) officers and Immigration Department personnel. Electronic voter rolls are synced across checkpoints to block duplicate voting. Signage in Cantonese, Mandarin and English funnels travellers towards the booths, while an ‘express channel’ diverts purely transit passengers if queues build.
Whether voters are making a same-day return or employers are coordinating cross-boundary commutes, having the right travel documents remains essential. VisaHQ’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) lets individuals and corporate mobility teams check the latest entry rules, secure China or Macao visas online and arrange passport services, all with real-time support—making border crossings smoother during election season or any other time.
For companies that shuttle staff between Hong Kong and mainland factories, the arrangement slashes downtime: employees can vote during routine commutes instead of staging overnight stays. Travel-management firms predict incremental productivity gains and smoother duty-of-care compliance.
Analysts see the move as part of a broader ‘Border 2.0’ vision in which civic, customs and even commercial services share gateway real estate. If the six-station pilot proves successful, the EAC may add Lo Wu and Wan Chai Ferry Pier to the roster for the next election cycle.
