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| Gear
up for elections! |
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| News
reporters taking note of the norminated
candidates on Nomination Day. |
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This year is
the year of the Presidential Election in Singapore!
It will happen sometime between 31 May and 31 August.
As we count down to the election, Challenge
provides a look at what goes on behind the scenes
in the Electrons Department (ELD) before and during
an election.
As voters, what we need to do on polling day is
to turn up at the assigned polling station with
our poll card and identity card, mark a cross on
the given ballot paper and drop it into the ballot
box. It’s that simple.
However, it takes months of preparation work to
ensure that everything runs smoothly during an election.
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| An
Assistant Returning Officer examining
the nomination papers filed by a candidate. |
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Residents
casting their votes on
polling day. |
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Organising an election involving more than two million
voters is a challenge for ELD, especially when the
department, which comes under the Prime Minister’s
Office, comprises of only 20 staff.
This is the reason why the department works very
closely with other public agencies. Its working
partners include the Ministry of Defence, Ministry
of Information, Communications and the Arts, Singapore
Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force,
among others.
A recent development was the setting up of 10 Group
Assistant Returning Officer (GARO) Contingents.
These contingents, which are led and staffed by
officers from various ministries, assist ELD in
planning and conducting elections.
Supported by the GARO Contingents, ELD staff select,
train and deploy 15,000 to 18,000 officers from
across the Public Service as election officials.
They identify and secure suitable premises for use
as nomination centres, polling stations and counting
centres. They also look into the logistics of setting
up these venues for an election.
The issue of the Writ of Election signifies the
start of an election. The Prime Minister will issue
the Writ for a Presidential Election, whereas the
President performs this task for a Parliamentary
Election.
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| Staff
removing the sealed boxes containing
ballot papers from the vault in the
Supreme Court. |
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After the Writ is issued, the Returning Officer,
who is overall in charge of running an election
in Singapore, will issue a notice that states details
such as the date, time and place for the nomination
of candidates.
On Nomination Day, candidates have to present their
nomination papers, statutory declarations and relevant
certificates at the nomination centre.
At the end of the nomination period, if there is
more than one nominated candidate, the Returning
Officer will issue the Notice of Contested Election.
This notice provides details such as the polling
date, candidates’ names and the locations of all
polling stations.
Then comes the exciting part – election campaigning.
The candidates will conduct house-to-house visits,
distribute flyers, put up banners, hold election
rallies, etc. They have up to the eve of polling
day to win over voters.
Polling takes place from 8 am to 8 pm. At the end
of the day, the ballot boxes are sealed in the presence
of the candidates and/or their agents and transported
to the counting centres where the ballot papers
will be counted.
Once a count is completed, the candidates will be
informed of the results and the Returning Officer
will make a live announcement through the media
to members of the public.
The counted ballot papers will be placed in sealed
boxes and delivered to the Supreme Court for safekeeping
for six months.
The entire election process is finally over when
the ballot papers are sent to the incineration plant
for burning.
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| Staff
tossing the ballot boxes into the incinerator. |
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| Excited crowds turn
up to give their
support. |
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KNOW
WHAT THEY MEAN
Ballot paper – This is the
paper on which you mark your choice
of candidate.
Constituency
/ Electoral division — This
is an area that is demarcated by the
Prime Minister for the purpose of holding
an election. There are two types of
constituencies: |
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Single Member
Constituency (SMC) – This is
an area represented by a single Member
of Parliament (MP). The Parliamentary
Elections Act requires that there must
be at least eight SMCs at anytime. There
are currently nine SMCs in Singapore.
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Group Representation
Constituency (GRC) – This area,
which is usually larger in terms of
population size as well as physical
area, is represented by a group of MPs,
which ranges from three to six persons.
At least one MP in the group must belong
to a minority racial community. The
GRC system ensures that the minority
racial communities in Singapore will
always be represented in Parliament.
There are currently 14 GRCs represented
by a total of 75 MPs. |
Election
— There are two kinds of elections in
Singapore: Parliamentary Elections and
Presidential Elections. In a Parliamentary
Election, electors choose a candidate
or group of candidates for political
office. The candidate or group of candidates
with the most number of votes is elected
and becomes a Member or Members of Parliament.
In a Presidential Election, the candidate
with the most votes becomes the President
of the Republic of Singapore.
Poll card — This is
the card you will receive from ELD confirming
that your name is on the Register of
Electors. It tells you when and where
to go to vote. Don’t forget to bring
it along to the polling station on polling
day!
Polling station
— This is the place you go to cast your
vote. A local polling station is usually
sited in a school, a void deck in a
public housing estate or a community
centre/club.
Register
of Electors — This is a document
containing the list of Singapore citizens
who have the right to vote at an election.
It is prepared and maintained by ELD.
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