GE2015: 8 frequently-asked questions on the Singapore elections

By Hong Xinying

In the lead-up to the coming General Election, we answer some often-asked questions on voting in Singapore.

Do I still need to vote if I am overseas on polling day?

Yes, otherwise your name will be removed from the register of electors for subsequent elections. If your name is removed, you will not be able to vote or contest as a candidate at any future parliamentary or presidential election, until your name has been restored to the register.

How do I apply to vote overseas?

If you will be out of the country on polling day, you can apply to vote overseas by registering early with the Election Department. You may file your application at the Elections Department building, on its website at http://www.eld.gov.sg or at any community centre.

However, this has to be done before the Writ of Election has been issued by the president of Singapore. As of press time, the document has yet to be issued.

There are currently 10 overseas polling stations located at designated consulates or embassies in Canberra, London, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Washington, San Francisco, New York and Dubai.

More details on the opening and closing hours of your assigned overseas polling centre will be announced on the Elections Department and Ministry of Foreign Affairs websites closer to the polling day.

I have been working/living abroad for a few years now. Am I still eligible to vote?

Singaporeans working or residing abroad are eligible to vote, if they meet the following criteria.

Firstly, citizens have to be at least 21 years old as of February 1 to be eligible to vote. Then, they have to have resided in Singapore for a minimum of 30 days during the three years prior to February 1.

They should also not have been previously disqualified by law from voting. Some of the reasons for being disqualified would be if you are of unsound mind or if you are currently serving a sentence for criminal offences for over 12 months.

If citizens have been disqualified from voting, they have to apply to the Elections Department to have their name restored to the electoral register.

Another detail worth noting: if you listed a foreign address on your National Registration Identity Card (NRIC), you have to leave a local address as your point of contact with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) by February 1, before your application can be processed. A constituency will then be assigned to you, based on that local address.

Once your application has been approved, you will receive an official notification about your designated overseas polling station. You can also check the status of your application online via the Elections Department website.

I was previously disqualified from voting. Can I restore my name in time for the coming elections?

Yes, as long as your application has been sent in and approved by the Elections Department before the Writ of Election has been issued; registration will be closed immediately after the Writ of Election has been made public.

If your application was sent in after the Writ of Election, your name may only be added after the coming general election has ended.

Should you fail to vote on polling day at the coming elections, your name will be removed from the register. Applications to restore your name to the register will only be accepted one month after the election.

Can I still vote if I lose my poll letter?

You will still be able to vote as long as you have your NRIC or passport with you at the polling station. However, you may find yourself spending more time at the voting station as your voting eligibility may take more time to be verified by the attending polling official.

What should I bring on polling day?

You will need to bring your polling card and your NRIC or Singapore passport to cast your vote at the polling station. Uniformed personnel are able to use the identity card given to them by Ministry of Defence, Singapore Police Force or Singapore Civil Defence Force.

What should I do if I need to work on polling day?

As polling day for a General Election is a public holiday in Singapore, all employers here are bound by law to give employees eligible for voting a reasonable amount of time-off to cast their votes.

If you need more time than is given to you, do inform your employer in advance so that you may make alternative arrangements for your work duties, while you are away.

Will my vote be kept a secret?

Yes. Markings that indicate the voter’s identity on any ballot card will make the vote invalid. Spoilt votes are not included in the total tally of votes.

While all individual ballot cards are numbered and theoretically traceable to the voter who marked it, these cards can only be examined by court order on the suspicion of election fraud. To date, no such claim has been made since Singapore held its first election in 1948.

After polling has closed, the boxes of ballot papers will be sealed and transported to the counting centre. Votes will be counted in the presence of candidates and counting agents from the incumbent and opposition parties.

Six months after the election, the boxes will be taken out of the Supreme Court vault to be incinerated, with the whole process is witnessed by candidates.

During the period prior to incineration, the boxes cannot be opened unless a court order has been issued on the grounds of election fraud.

The serial number on each polling card is used to help tally the votes, to avoid the double-counting of votes. It also makes it easy to spot counterfeits of ballot papers, while preventing voting by proxy, where a perpetrator may impersonate a voter to cast a vote on his or her behalf.

Information was collated from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Elections Department websites and is correct as of press time.