27 August is Polling Day for Presidential Election

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has issued the Writ of Election on Wednesday, announcing 17 August as Nomination Day for the Presidential Election.

Polling Day is set for 27 August if there's a contest. The Presidential Election will see a minimum nine days of campaigning, plus a Cooling-Off Day.

Presidential hopefuls applying for candidacy may obtain nomination forms at the Elections Department and have till this Saturday -- three days after the writ is issued -- to submit their application forms for the Certificate of Eligibility.

Four presidential hopefuls -- including Tan Jee Say -- have submitted their application forms for a Certificate of Eligibility. The others are former Deputy Prime Minister Dr Tony Tan; former NTUC Income chief Tan Kin Lian; and former PAP MP Dr Tan Cheng Bock.

Last Wednesday, former JTC chief financial officer, Andrew Kuan also collected the eligibility certificate forms, signaling his bid to contest as a candidate in this year's contest.

However, candidates qualified to contest will have to submit a S$48,000 deposit either at the Accountant-General's Department in High Street, or at the Nomination Centre on Nomination Day.

A Political Donation Certificate issued by the Registrar of Political Donations is also needed.

Under the Political Donation Act, this is required to prevent foreigners from interfering in Singapore's domestic politics through funding of candidates and political associations.

According to the Act, political associations and election candidates are not allowed to accept donations except from permissible donors, and the receipt of anonymous donations are restricted to less than S$5,000 in total per reporting period.

The Presidential Election's Returning Officer is People's Association chief executive officer, Yam Ah Mee.