Background information on voting in Singapore

April 29, 2006
MICA Press Release

1. The Elections Department would like to inform the public of the procedures and general regulations of Polling Day so all eligible voters are equipped with the necessary information for them to cast their votes. Special assistance will also be provided for the elderly, infirm, physically-challenged and illiterate voters. Voting is compulsory and every vote is secret. Useful information for the public about the counting of votes is also included in this fact sheet.

General Information

2. Polling Day is on Saturday, 6 May 2006. Voters may cast their votes any time between 8.00am to 8.00pm on Polling Day. There are 422 Polling Stations in Singapore. A list of all the Polling Stations have been printed on the Government Gazette. (A full list of these Stations can also be found on www.egazette.com.sg.)
3. Only the following persons will be allowed in the Polling Stations:
   • Voters
   • Election Officials
   • Police Officers on duty
   • Candidates contesting in that constituency
   • Polling Agents (officially appointed by the contesting candidates)
   • Any other persons authorized by the Returning Officer in writing
4. Eligible voters in the contested constituencies will begin to receive their poll cards from Friday, 28 April 2006. All eligible voters should have received a poll card by Tuesday, 2 May 2006.
5. The poll card will show where a voter needs to go to cast his or her vote. Voters will have to vote in the electoral division corresponding to their NRIC address as at 1 January 2006. Poll cards are printed in batches of four, to accommodate up to four voters living in the same household. Upon receiving the poll card, the card should be cut up as appropriate and distributed among the respective voters.]
6. If voters have misplaced their poll cards or did not receive them, they may check their polling station details by visiting the Elections Department’s website at www.elections.gov.sg, calling the GE Enquiry Centre hotline at 1800 333 1111 or making an enquiry at a nearby community centre. Voters should then note down the location of their respective polling stations and polling place numbers, and go their designated polling stations on Polling Day with their NRICs and/or passports to cast their votes.
7. Other than NRICs and passports, National Service identity cards issued by the Ministry of Defence, Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force can also be used to identify the voters. (Election officials have been shown samples of these documents and they will be able to identify and accept these documents as proof of identity.) Driving licences, however, will not be accepted as a form of identity.
8. For those who bring along their poll cards or information of their respective polling stations, together with their NRICs/passports/National Service identity cards, the Election officials will be able to expedite the verification of the voters’ particulars and direct them to the correct queue to facilitate the casting of votes. For those voters who only have their NRICs, passports or National Service identity cards with them, the Election officials may require additional time to verify their particulars.
9. Those who are eligible to vote will receive a poll card. The following will be eligible to vote:
   • Citizen of Singapore i.e. holder of a pink identity card on or before 1 January 2006;
   • At least 21 years old as at 1 January 2006;
   • Voters whose names are on the latest certified register of electors; for that constituency.
10. The following categories of persons will not receive poll cards:
    • Electors in uncontested electoral divisions;
    • Electors who failed to vote at previous Presidential and Parliamentary elections and who have not restored their names to the Registers of Electors as of 20 April 2006;
    • Citizens whose names are not in the Register of Electors (e.g. those whose addresses have been de-listed, or whose address in the NRIC is a non-residential address or an overseas address)
11. The public is reminded of the following Dos and Don’ts to observe on Polling Day:
    • Cast your votes from 8.00am to 8.00pm. Based on experience, queues and waiting times tend to be longer in the first 1-2 hours of voting.
    • Go only to the Polling Station stated in your poll card to vote. You will not be allowed to vote at a different Polling Station. Such electors will be directed by election officials to their designated Polling Stations.
    • Do bring along your NRIC, passport or National Service identity cards. Voters with NRICs, passports or National Service identity cards will be eligible to vote if their names are found on the Register of Electors for that contested constituency.
    • Mark your choice on your Ballot Paper clearly. Mark the box with a cross. Fold the ballot paper inwards and drop the folded ballot paper into the ballot box.
    • Mobile phones and any forms of recording device should not be used within the Polling Station.
    • Do not bring any document or material, or wear any attire or badge, which shows a political party’s or candidate’s symbol. This constitutes canvassing and the law prohibits it. All forms of election activity are prohibited on Polling Day, except voting.

Special Assistance for Voters with Special Needs

12. Voters who are 65 years old and above on 31 December 2006, the infirm and those physically-challenged will be given priority to vote at the polling station. They will then be guided to the express lane. Voters who are 65 years old and above on 31 December 2006 can be identified by the symbol “>>>” printed on their poll cards.
13. Vehicles transporting a sick, an infirm or physically-challenged person can stop or park within 100 metres of the Polling Station for a reasonable period for the person to cast a vote.
14. Handicapped or illiterate voters can also request for the assistance of Election Officials at Polling Stations for the marking of their ballot papers. The assisting Elections Official will mark the ballot paper only according to the voter’s direction. The voter’s choice will be kept secret as the Official has taken an oath of secrecy and it will be an offence to divulge the voter’s choice. To ensure the secrecy of votes, no member of the family or friend of a disabled or illiterate voter can help him/her mark his/her ballot paper.

Counting of Votes

15. There are 88 counting centres. At the close of the poll, the ballot boxes will be sealed and transported to the counting centres for the ballot papers to be counted.
16. No other persons, except the Election Officials assisting with the counting of votes, the candidates, their counting agents and those authorized by the Returning Officer, may be present at the counting of the votes.
17. Counting agents may be appointed by either the candidate or his election agent. Only one counting agent per candidate/group of candidates may attend the counting of votes at each counting place specified by the Returning Officer. i.e. If there are four counting places within one counting centre, there can be up to four counting agents in that centre for a particular candidate/group of candidates.
18. Before the Senior Assistant Returning Officer (SARO) or the person authorized by the Returning Officer proceeds to count the votes, he or she will open each ballot box, take out the papers inside and mix all the ballot papers contained in the ballot boxes together. The candidates and counting agents may be present. However, counting will still proceed if they are absent.

Recounting of Votes

19. A recount will be allowed only if the difference in votes given to the two candidates/groups of candidates with the most votes is equal to or less than 2% of the total number of votes cast (excluding rejected votes).
20. Only the candidate or counting agent can ask for a recount. A recount application can be made only after all the votes for a constituency have been counted and the result announced to the candidates.
21. Once there is an application for recount, the Returning Officer will order for all ballot papers for the constituency to be recounted. Only one recount application will be entertained.

After Counting of Votes

22. After the votes have been counted and the result announced, the SARO/ARO will ensure the following:
    • Seal all ballot papers and other related documents in a ballot box or boxes;
    • Deliver the sealed ballot box or boxes to the Supreme Court for safe-keeping in the vault for six months.
23. During those six months, these documents can only be retrieved by order of an Elections Judge, pursuant to an elections petition. The court will issue such an order only if it is satisfied that a vote has been fraudulently cast and the result of the election may be affected as a result. Only the Elections Judge who is a Judge of the High Court may make an order that any ballot paper or other document relating to an election which has been sealed as required by the Parliamentary Elections Act be inspected, copied or produced, if necessary.
24. After six months, the ballot papers and related documents in their sealed boxes will be sent for destruction as part of the measure to safeguard the secrecy of the votes.

Announcement of Results

25. GE Results will be released on Polling Night (Saturday, 6 May 2006). Where the total number of overseas electors lawfully entitled to vote at the election in that electoral division is less than the difference between the number of votes given to the candidate/groups of candidates with the 2 greatest number of votes, the Returning Officer shall declare the candidate or group of candidates to whom the greatest number of votes is given to be elected.
26. Where the total number of overseas electors lawfully entitled to vote at the election in that electoral division is equal to or more than the difference between the number of votes given to the candidates or groups of candidates with the 2 greatest number of votes, the Returning Officer shall declare the number of votes cast in Singapore in favour of each candidate/group of candidates at the election, and the date and premise at which the votes cast by the overseas electors will be counted.