Requirements and Procedures

Associations or organizations fulfilling the following three requirements may apply for corporate voter registration:
• Having registered with the Identification Bureau;
• Having obtained sector recognition for at least four years;
• Having obtained legal personality for at least seven years.

Recognition of Sectoral Membership

According to the “Voter Registration Law” amended by Law No. 9/2008, legal persons having obtained legal personality for a minimum of three years may apply to be recognized as a member of the following sectors:
• industrial, commercial and financial;
• labour;
• professional;
• social service;
• cultural;
• education;
• sports.

Making approval is the power of the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive will decide whether to approve the recognition or not after hearing the opinion from relevant entity.

* Effective from October 15^th, 2008

Entities to provide opinions to the Chief Executive

Application for recognition shall be made to the following entities. Such entities shall also provide opinions to the Chief Executive:

• The Standing Committee for the Coordination of Social Affairs
  Provides opinions on recognition applications regarding the industrial, commercial and financial sector, labour sector and professional sector
  Address: Travessa 1o de Maio, Advance Plaza, R/C, Macau
  Telephones: 28711822, 28712751
  Fax: 28712744
  E-mail: cpcs@macau.ctm.net
• The Social Services Committee
  Provides opinions on recognition applications for the social service sector
  Address:Estrada do Cemitério, no. 6, Macau
  Telephones: 28512512
  Fax: 28559529
  E-mail: srh@ias.gov.mo
• The Cultural Consultative Committee
  Provides opinions on recognition applications for the cultural sector
  Address：Praça do Tap Seac, Edifício do Instituto Cultural, Macau
  Telephones：28366866
  Fax：2836 6863
  E-mail：madalenap@icm.gov.mo
• The Education Committee
  Provides opinions on recognition applications for the education sector
  Address: Av. de D. João IV, no. 7-9, 1º andar, Macau
  Telephones: 28555533
  Fax: 28355427
  E-mail：webmaster@dsej.gov.mo
• The Sports Committee
  Provides opinions on recognition applications for the sports sector
  Address: Av. Dr. Rodrigues, S/N, Forum de Macau, Edifício Complementar, Bloco 1, 4º andar, Macau
  Telephones: 28580762
  Fax: 28343708
  E-mail：sport@macau.ctm.net

Procedures for Recognition

Any legal person that has acquired legal personality for at least three years may apply for sector recognition. However, the applicant cannot apply for recognition for two different sectors at the same time. The application shall be submitted to the office of relevant entities responsible for providing opinions to the Chief Executive, together with the following documents:

•  Certificates issued by the Identification Bureau proving the registration of the legal person and bearing the name list of the organization’s principal members;
• Copy of Permanent Resident Identity Card of the representative designated by the legal person for the matter of sector recognition;
• Copy of the organization’s statute, as published in the Official Gazette of the Macao Special Administrative Region;
• Copy of minutes of meeting indicating that the competent body prescribed in the statute has resolved to apply for sector recognition and the designation of a representative for this purpose;
• Any other information that the legal person deems necessary for the application, such as, activity records or proof which can help the entity to analyse whether the legal person belongs to the respective sector.

Relevant entities shall submit opinion to the Chief Executive within 30 days upon receiving the application, and notify the legal person of the application result in writing.

Validity Period and Renewal

The recognition is valid for five years from the date of recognition by the Chief Executive.

According to law, the renewal application must be submitted by the legal person within 150 to 90 days before the recognition expires. If no renewal application is submitted within the said period, the recognition shall lose effect once it expires. In other words, if the legal person intends to renew the recognition, the application shall be made no later than 90 days prior to the expiry date of recognition.

Renewal application shall be submitted to the entity responsible for providing opinions to the Chief Executive for the corresponding sector.

Necessary Notification of Amendment to Statute

When a legal person having been recognized as a member of a particular sector intends to amend its statute, such legal person shall notify the corresponding entity within 60 days after the new statute is published in the Official Gazette of the Macao Special Administrative Region for reassessment. If it still fulfils the assessment criteria of the original sector, the recognition will remain valid

If the relevant entity finds that the amended statute does not conform to the assessment criteria, the entity should transmit the file, together with its opinions, to the Chief Executive to decide whether to maintain the recognition or not. Under the circumstance of not maintaining the recognition, the previous sector recognition will become invalid immediately.

Applying Recognition of another Sector

A legal person having been recognized as a member of a particular sector may apply for recognition of another sector. In this case, in addition to the documents stated above in the Procedures for Recognition, the legal person shall submit a copy of the meeting minutes stating that the competent body has resolved to apply for recognition of another sector.

The previous recognition will expire as soon as the new sector recognition is approved. The legal person recognized as a member of another sector can only apply for corporate voter registration in that sector at least four years after the membership recognition

Annual Summary Report

According to law, legal persons that have obtained sector recognition should submit an annual summary report to relevant entities responsible for providing opinions to the Chief Executive by the last working day of September each year.

Regarding legal persons that fail to submit the report, the entities should release the list of such legal persons by October 15^th each year. Within five days after the list is released, any legal person may lodge an opposition to the corresponding entity based on the grounds of error or omission.

The annual summary report is used to prove that the recognized legal person has been organizing public social activities within its sector and such activities were in line with the recognition criteria. Relevant entity will use the annual summary reports submitted as a basis for overall assessment when the legal person applies for renewal or notifies the entity of any amendment to its statute.

Procedures for Corporate Voter Registration

Any legal person having been recognized as a member of a specific sector for more than four years may apply for corporate voter registration. The application may be submitted by a representative appointed by the competent body prescribed in the statute of the legal person.

When submitting the application, a completed application form* signed by the competent representative and the following documents should be submitted:

• Declaration* signed by the representative of the legal person and a copy of his/her Permanent Resident Identity Card;
• Document proving that the legal person has been recognized as a member of a specific sector;
• Copy of meeting minutes of the competent body prescribed in the statute, including the resolution of applying corporate voter registration and the representative appointed for this purpose.

Representative for Corporate Voter Registration

 The law stipulates that the representative should be a registered individual voter and he/she shall only apply for voter registration for one legal person. 

In the case where the representative of a corporate voter becomes a member of another organization and acts as the organization’s representative for corporate voter registration, such person may represent another organization, provided that he/she has submitted a declaration* to the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau, stating that he/she no longer represents the original corporate voter and has already informed the corporate voter.

Legal persons have the right to change, at anytime, their registered representative, and should notify the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau to register the substitution.

Corporate voter with no representative may designate a substitute. If no substitution is made, the corporate voter will be informed to provide the incomplete information through newspaper advertisement. If there is still no substitution, the registration will be cancelled.

* Available atwww.re.gov.mo

Suspension of registration

After the law came into effect, if a corporate voter who did not submit the annual summary report as required fails to submit the report again within five calendar years, effect of its voter registration shall be suspended, starting from the end date of the next display of voter register.

If the registration effect was suspended and the corporate voter has then carried out the obligation referred to in the preceding paragraph, effect of the registration shall be resumed on the end date of the next display of voter register.

Cancellation of Registration

Suspension of effect may lead to cancellation of voter registration of recognized organizations.

When a legal person fails to submit the annual summary report again within five calendar years counting from the suspension of its registration, its voter registration shall be cancelled on the end date of the next display of voter register.

Voter Register

According to law, Voter Register shall be compiled in January every year, in which applications received by the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau up to the last working day of December of the previous year shall be included and suspension/cancellation shall be specified.

Applications for registration or change of information received on or after January 1st will only be included or specified in the Voter Register to be displayed in the following year.

Name and registration number of corporate voters will be categorized according to different sectors in the Voter Register.

Every January, the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau shall display the updated Voter Register at the registration sites or other indicated places for ten consecutive days. Interested parties shall check out the information within the said period in order to lodge an opposition when necessary.

According to law, only the most recent Voter Register having been displayed before the announcement of election date shall be used in elections. Therefore, for example, if one wants to cast a ballot in the election held in the following year, registration application shall be made before December 31st this year. By doing so, the registration will be included in the Voter Register to be displayed in next January and the voter will be able to exercise voter’s right in the election of which the date is announced later.

The Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau shall publish, at least once a year, the list of corporate voters, which shall include the name, address, contact information and name of representative of legal persons contained in the Voter Register that has been displayed.

Existing Voter Registration

Corporate voter registrations done before the entry into effect of the “Voter Registration Law” amended by Law No. 9/2008 shall remain effective. However, as required by law, such corporate voters should renew or rectify the registered information, or provide supplementary information, especially in respect of the address of corporate voter, name of its representative and his/her information, within two years after the law came into force.

After the term of two years, if the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau finds the registration status of some voters doubtful, the Bureau will put a notice in the newspaper to inform them to carry out necessary procedures to make it in conformity with law. If such corporate voters do not inform the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau to rectify, the registration will be removed from the Voter Register.

Existing Recognition

Existing sector recognitions shall remain effective for five years from the date of enforcement of the “Voter Registration Law” amended by Law No. 9/2008. Name of sectors will automatically change as follows:

• “Employer Interests” change to “Industrial, Commercial and Financial Sector”;
• “Cultural Interests” change to “Cultural Sector”;
• “Education Interests” change to “Education Sector”;
• “Professional Interests” change to “Professional Sector”;
• “Sports Interests” change to “Sports Sector”;
• “Employees Interests” change to “Labour Sector”;
• “Charity Interests” change to “Social Service Sector”.

 Legal persons should renew or update their information within the prescribed period in accordance with law.

Where to apply

Applications for sector recognition should be submitted to the committee of the corresponding sector:

• Industrial, commercial and financial sector=>The Standing Committee for the Coordination of Social Affairs
  Address: Travessa 1 o de Maio, Advanced Plaza, R/C, no. 32-G, Macau
• Labour sector=>The Standing Committee for the Coordination of Social Affairs
  Address: Travessa 1o de Maio, Advanced Plaza, R/C, no. 32-G, Macau
• Professional sector=>The Standing Committee for the Coordination of Social Affairs
  Address: Travessa 1o de Maio, Advanced Plaza, R/C, no. 32-G, Macau
• Social Service Sector=>The Social Services Committee
  Address: Estrada do Cemitério, no. 6, Macau
• Cultural sector=>Cultural Consultative Committee
  Address: Rua do Tap Seac, Edifício do Instituto Cultural, Macau
• Education Sector=>he Education Committee
  Address: Av. de D. João IV, nos. 7-9, 1st floor, Macau
• Sports Sector=>The Sports Committee
  Address: Av. do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues, Edifício Forum, BlocoI, 4th floor, Macau

Applications for corporate voter registration should be submitted to the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau.

• The Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau
  Rua do Campo, R/C Edifício da Administração Pública no. 162, Macau
  Telephone：8987 1704
• Government Services Complex
  Rua Nova da Areia PReta, no. 52, Macau
  Telephone：2845 1515
• The Islands Public Services Centre
  Rua da Ponte Negra, Bairro Social no. 75K-Taipa, Macau
  Telephone：2882 5252

Enquiry and Suggestion

Enquiries on detailed registration procedures or opinions and suggestions on Government services shall be made by the following means:

• Visit：The Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau
• Enquiry Hotline：8866 8866 / 8987 1704
• Voter Registration Web-site：www.re.gov.mo