More than 6,500 registered as overseas voters for Singapore Presidential Election: ELD

SINGAPORE: More than 6,500 Singaporeans have registered as overseas voters for the upcoming Presidential Election, the Elections Department (ELD) said on Wednesday (Aug 23).

A total of 3,432 Singaporeans overseas will vote by post and 3,217 will cast their ballot in person at overseas polling stations. 

This is the first time postal voting will be used in an election. Changes to Singapore's election laws were passed in parliament in March so that eligible Singaporeans living overseas will be able to vote by post. 

Singaporeans can qualify for overseas voting as long as they have resided in Singapore for 30 days in the last three years preceding the date of registration to be an overseas voter. 

For postal voters, they have been notified to download their postal ballot paper and return envelope, said ELD, adding that the postal ballot paper and return envelope can be downloaded from ELD's website using Singpass. 

"We encourage postal voters to mail back the return envelope early," it added.

The return envelope containing the marked postal ballot paper must be postmarked before Polling Day on Sep 1 and reach the returning officer in Singapore by Sep 11 to be accepted for counting. 

Overseas voters who have registered to vote at an overseas polling station have been sent their ePoll letter indicating the polling date and hours for their overseas polling station, said ELD. 

A copy of the ePoll letter is also accessible online at ELD’s Voter Services using Singpass. 

The overseas polling stations are in Beijing, Canberra, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, Tokyo and Washington.

In the last contested Presidential Election in 2011, there were 5,504 registered overseas electors. Of these, 3,375 turned up at nine overseas polling stations to cast their votes.

Voters will make their choice among three presidential candidates in this election - former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song, former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and former NTUC Income chief executive Tan Kin Lian.

REGISTERED OVERSEAS VOTERS BACK IN SINGAPORE

If a registered overseas voter is back in Singapore on Polling Day, they may vote at their allotted polling station in Singapore, said ELD. 

The details of their allotted polling station in Singapore are on the poll card, which will be sent to their registered Singapore NRIC address or local contact address.

"These details are also on the voter’s ePoll card, which is accessible on the Singpass app and ELD’s Voter Services using Singpass from now until Polling Day," said ELD.

The voter will have to declare at the polling station that they have not already voted in the same election before being issued a ballot paper for voting. 

"Every overseas voter is allowed to vote only once during an election, either overseas or at the polling station in Singapore that has been allotted to him," added ELD.