HONG KONG - The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region held the election for the fourth-term Chief Executive on Sunday morning, as members of the 1,200-strong Election Committee started their voting.

Each member of the Election Committee is entitled to cast a single vote by secret ballot.

Three contenders for the city's top post include Leung Chun-ying, former convenor of the Non-Official Members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong, Albert Ho, a lawmaker who is also head of a local political party, and Henry Tang, former chief secretary of the city government.

The order of names of the three candidates on the ballot paper is -- Leung Chun-ying (No 1), Albert Ho (No 2) and Henry Tang ( No 3).

The main polling station and the central counting station are both located at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.

The first round of voting is held from 9 am to 11 am The result of the first-round voting is expected to be unveiled at around 1 pm. A candidate must obtain more than 600 valid votes to win, according to the city's Electoral Affairs Commission.

Should there be a need for more than one round of voting, the second and third round of voting will be scheduled from 2 pm to 3 pm and from 7 pm to 8 pm respectively on Sunday, according to the Commission.

Incumbent Chief Executive Donald Tsang, whose term ends on June 30 this year, is barred from seeking a third term.