Writ of election for presidential polls after 3 Aug?
The Writ of Election for the upcoming Presidential Election is expected to be issued anytime from 3 August.
The writ will specify the place and date of nomination, which must be at least five days, but not more than a month, after the date of the writ.
In a government gazette announcement on Tuesday, the Elections Department said it has set the 3 August date to remove from any Register of Elector the name of any person where the Registration Officer has reason to believe that the address of that person as shown in the register has ceased to exist.
It will also transfer the name of any person to the appropriate Register of Electors where the person has notified the Commissioner of National Registration his change of address or contact address.
In a press release, the Elections Department said on Tuesday that voters who have changed their address on their identity card since 1 January will be allowed to vote at a polling station nearer their new address in the election.
The registration officer will transfer their names to the appropriate Register of Electors based on the address stated on their identity card as of 11 July.
Affected voters have until Aug 1 to check the register. They may do so at the Elections Department, on its website or at designated community centres or community clubs, a list of which is available at the department's website.
Those who failed to vote in the recent General Election are also reminded to restore their names to the Registers of Electors.
For Presidential hopefuls, the window for applications for the Certificate of Eligibility will close on the third day after the Writ is issued by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
So far, interested parties are former deputy prime minister Tony Tan, former Member of Parliament Tan Cheng Bock, ex-chief executive of NTUC Income Tan kin Lian and former civil servant Tan Jee Say and former JTC Corporation chief financial officer Andrew Kuan.
Dr Tony Tan and Tan Kin Lian have submitted their application forms for the eligibility certificate.
The Returning Officer for the election will issue a notice at least four days before Nomination Day to specify the Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Presidential Elections Committee and the date, time and place for the nomination of a candidate.
If there is more than one candidate nominated on Nomination Day, the Returning Officer will adjourn the election to Polling Day. He will issue the notice of contested election, which specifies the date of the poll.
Polling Day must not be earlier than the 10th day, and not later than the 56th day, after the publication of the notice.
Candidates can start to campaign after the notice is issued and must stop on the day before Polling Day, which is Cooling-Off day.
The Presidential Election must be held by the end of August.
