Thursday, August 25, 2011

Presidential Election in Singapore


In Singapore , our current President, His Honourable Excellency Mr. S R Nathan is going to retire from the President Post. Thus, we are currently going to have our Presedential elections. Presedential election is an election where Singaporeans vote for their President for the next 10 or so years. This year, Presedential election is held on the 27 Aug 2011. As for this year,the 27th of Aug falls on a Saturday. In Singapore, all polling days are a public holiday so as to allow all Singaporeans to have their time to vote. In Singapore, as I mentioned before, if a public holiday falls on a Saturday,the following Monday is a school holiday.So, as for the Presedential Elections, it is held on a Saturday, the 27 Aug 2011. Therefore, the following Monday, the 29 Aug 2011, is a School Holiday. The Singapore Elections Department (SED) uses schools and Community Centres (CCs) as polling stations for the respective districts. Those schools which are being used as polling stations have been informed earlier already. Therefore, the SED orders all staff and students of those schools to clear the school permises by 2pm on the afternoon of 26 Aug 2011, Friday. After which, the Principal of the school has to ensure that all his/her staff and students have cleared the school permises before handing the school over to the Singapore Election Department(SED) Authorities.

Voting procedures will be quite similar to the procedures for the previous PM (Prime Minister) elections held earlier this year. (Please refer to my blogs posted earlier this year). Just to recap, A polling card will be sent to each Voter's home.
That polling card will contain his/her name, NRIC No., Polling verification No. and the polling station he/she is supposed to report to on the 27 Aug 2011. All polling stations will be open from 9am on the 27 Aug 2011 to 6pm on the 27 Aug 2011. Voters are free to visit their designated polling stations to cast their votes between 9am and 6pm on the 27 Aug 2011. Police officers will be on duty at all the entrances of each polling station to verify the identity of people entering the polling stations. This is to ensure that no one enters the polling stations without having the permission to vote. When the person enters the polling station, police officers on duty inside the stations will ensure that the poller does not use any electronic devices when inside the station. This is to ensure that everyone`s vote is confidential. Each voter will be given a paper containing all the names of the parties standing for the Presedential Elections 2011. The voter is given a seal.

He/she is required to chop the seal on the name of the candidate he/she wishes to vote for. Special assistance will be rendered to disabled people entering the stations. After which, the poller is required to seal his poll card tightly and drop it into a box placed at the exit of the polling station. After which , he/she is required to leave the polling stations Immediately. The results of the election will be released via media like Television(TV), Radio(FM)etc. by 3am the next morning.
This is the whole procedure for Presedential Elections in Singapore. I have also included photos of candidates standing for the Presedential Elections 2011 in Singapore.

In Singapore, its compulsory that all Singapore Citizens cast their votes for any elections held. Anyone who does not adhere to this law without relevant excuse will be barred from voting at future Elections held in Singapore.

Credits: Google, Google Images, Singapore Elections Department

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Elections in Singapore



After many years, Sinagpore is again having its elections. For the past yrs, Singapore did not have any oposing party . Now, Singapore has other parties ready to oppose a party , the People`s Action Party also known as PAP. In the moulmein district,a district of Singapore, we have the Workers` Party, also known as WP ready to oppose the PAP. In other districts, we also have other parties contesting against the PAP. As the other parties, which includes WP, are just starting to contest for elections, they are not contesting in many areas of Singapore.We have the different candidates who are standing in the elections from the different parties going around people`s houses and asking them to support them by voting for them.As an election administrator, the Singapore Elections Department(SED) will plan,prepare for and manage the Presendential and Parlimentary Elections in Singapore.


Singapore will be divided into many districts. Each district will have 2 or more candidates opposing each other,one from PAP and the other from other parties. If the PAP wins most of the areas, they will become the ruling party. If the other parties win, they will be the ruling party. As Singapore is divided into different districts, each district will have a voting centre. If there is a higher number of votes for a certain party in only a certain district, then, that party can only take over that area of Singapore. If only the party wins in all the districts in Singapore, then they take over the whole of Singapore. For the past elections, as PAP has been winning, most Singaporeans hope that PAP will win this time again.

In Singapore, it is a law that all Singapore Citizens (SCs)above the age of 21 must have a role in voting. Each SC will recieve a polling card sent by post to his/her home. In that card there will be 4-5boxes. One reading 'PAP' and the other reading other parties` names . Then, he/ she must bring that card to the deignated polling station and then he/she will be given a seal which is supposed to be chopped. He / she chops the seal against the name of the party he/she wishes to vote for. Then,this card is supposed to be sealed and dropped into the polling box which will be placed at the entrance/exit of the polling station. All votes must and will be kept highly confidential at all times. The results of this elections will be released 2 days later via radio or the TV and the newspapers. This is the procedure for elections and voting systems in Singapore. As to allow all Singaporeans to have their own time to vote, voting day will be a public holiday in Singapore.

The designated polling stations will most probably schools and Community Centres
(CCs). As schools are being used as polling stations, the Singapore Elections Department (SED) authorities urges all school principals to ask their students and staff to clear the school permises by 3pm on the afternoon of 06 May 2011. After which,the school will be handed over to the authorities and the security guards
will be replaced by policemen to ensure that no one enters the school permises before the appropriate polling day and time.When entering the polling stations,
all Singaporeans have to produce their ICs (Identification Cards) and their
respective polling cards with their name printed on it to the policemen at the
entrance of the polling stations. This is a security measure taken to ensure that
no one enters the polling station illegally.

As for this year, as polling day falls on the 7th of May 2011, and it is a public holiday. In Singapore, as known, if a Public Holiday falls on a weekend, the following Monday will be officially a school holiday. Thus,this year, as polling day is on a Saturday, which is the 7th May 2011, the following Monday, the 9th of May 2011 is a school holiday. As this is a unexpected,sudden, event and this is the Mid Year Examinations (MYE) period in Singapore , all schools have trouble rescheduling their MY exam papers due to the unexpected Monday Holiday.

Credit(s) : Google Images