SINGAPORE: About 200 Singaporeans have informed the Elections Department (ELD) that their names are not in the Registers of Electors for the upcoming Presidential Election, even though they said they voted in the 2020 General Election.
As a result, they did not receive their poll cards and will be unable to vote when Singapore goes to the ballot box on Sep 1.
ELD said on Thursday (Aug 24) that based on preliminary checks, the NRICs of some voters may not have been properly scanned by the electronic registration devices used at polling stations in 2020, resulting in the voter attendance data not being captured in the system.
More sensitive electronic registration devices will be deployed at the polling stations for the Presidential Election this year, said ELD.
“ELD will be reaching out to Singaporeans who have informed us of this matter and will, upon verification, restore their names to the registers after the election, so that they can vote at future elections. No further action from them is needed," the department added.
Since Aug 11, when the writ for the Presidential Election was issued, ELD said about 200 Singaporeans told the department that their names were not reflected in the Registers of Electors certified on Jul 20, even though they had voted in the previous election.
Prior to every election, voters would have been informed to check on their voter status and apply to restore their names to the registers if the names have been removed. The first opportunity to do so was on Oct 5, 2020, when ELD published the list of non-voters for the General Election.
“More recently, in the leadup to PE2023, ELD revised the Registers of Electors to bring the registers up to date as at the prescribed date of Jun 1, 2023," it said.
"Singaporeans were then invited to inspect the revised registers from Jun 15, 2023 and again when the Registers of Electors were certified on Jul 20 2023,” said the department, adding that those whose names were not in the registers could apply to restore their names to the registers.
Between Oct 5, 2020 until the writ of election was issued on Aug 11 this year, a total of 32,807 voters successfully applied to restore their names to the registers. They will be able to vote in the Presidential Election this year.
The number of voters restored to the registers this time round is similar to previous elections.
“As the writ of election had been issued on Aug 11, 2023, under the law, no restoration can be made to re-instate non-voters into the registers until the end of Polling Day on Sep 1, 2023," said ELD.
"This is because the registers are conclusive evidence used to determine whether a person is or is not entitled to vote at the election, and it is thus necessary to maintain the certainty of the registers once the writ was issued.”
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As a result, they did not receive their poll cards and will be unable to vote when Singapore goes to the ballot box on Sep 1.
ELD said on Thursday (Aug 24) that based on preliminary checks, the NRICs of some voters may not have been properly scanned by the electronic registration devices used at polling stations in 2020, resulting in the voter attendance data not being captured in the system.
More sensitive electronic registration devices will be deployed at the polling stations for the Presidential Election this year, said ELD.
“ELD will be reaching out to Singaporeans who have informed us of this matter and will, upon verification, restore their names to the registers after the election, so that they can vote at future elections. No further action from them is needed," the department added.
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Since Aug 11, when the writ for the Presidential Election was issued, ELD said about 200 Singaporeans told the department that their names were not reflected in the Registers of Electors certified on Jul 20, even though they had voted in the previous election.
Prior to every election, voters would have been informed to check on their voter status and apply to restore their names to the registers if the names have been removed. The first opportunity to do so was on Oct 5, 2020, when ELD published the list of non-voters for the General Election.
“More recently, in the leadup to PE2023, ELD revised the Registers of Electors to bring the registers up to date as at the prescribed date of Jun 1, 2023," it said.
"Singaporeans were then invited to inspect the revised registers from Jun 15, 2023 and again when the Registers of Electors were certified on Jul 20 2023,” said the department, adding that those whose names were not in the registers could apply to restore their names to the registers.
Between Oct 5, 2020 until the writ of election was issued on Aug 11 this year, a total of 32,807 voters successfully applied to restore their names to the registers. They will be able to vote in the Presidential Election this year.
The number of voters restored to the registers this time round is similar to previous elections.
“As the writ of election had been issued on Aug 11, 2023, under the law, no restoration can be made to re-instate non-voters into the registers until the end of Polling Day on Sep 1, 2023," said ELD.
"This is because the registers are conclusive evidence used to determine whether a person is or is not entitled to vote at the election, and it is thus necessary to maintain the certainty of the registers once the writ was issued.”
Continue reading...