Singapore’s Registers of Electors to be updated; Public inspection scheduled for June

SINGAPORE: In a move directed by Prime Minister Mr Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s voter rolls are set for a significant update, with public inspection slated for June.

The Elections Department (ELD) announced on 20 May that the Registration Officer has been instructed to revise the Registers of Electors, aiming for completion by 31 July.

The update is crucial as it prepares for potential electoral activities, with the next General Election mandated by November 2025.

Eligibility for inclusion in the updated registers requires Singaporean citizenship, a minimum age of 21, a local residential address registered on the National Registration Identity Card (NRIC), and eligibility under prevailing laws. Overseas Singaporeans must have a registered local contact address for voting purposes.

ELD has outlined that details on how to inspect the Registers of Electors will be available when they are opened for public viewing.

Voting remains compulsory in Singapore, with consequences for non-compliance, including removal from the voter rolls. Those removed can request reinstatement to regain their voting eligibility.

Names cannot be restored after a writ for an election is issued until after Nomination Day if the election is not contested or until after Polling Day if a poll is to be taken.

Speaking on a related issue raised in Parliament in September last year, Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister-in-charge of the Public Service and Education Minister, addressed concerns about voter registration anomalies from the 2023 Presidential Election.

Approximately 200 Singaporeans were left off the voter rolls despite having voted in GE2020, and long queues formed at several polling stations from 8 am due to technical issues with the electronic voter registration system.

Approximately 1,093 Singaporeans reported not receiving their polling cards for the Presidential Election 2023 despite having voted in 2020. ELD’s investigation attributed this error to oversights in the electronic registration process introduced in the previous election.

Mr Chan assured that corrective measures have been taken, including the implementation of a new registration system for PE2023 that simplifies the voter registration process. Additionally, ELD will enhance its communication with voters who have been removed from the rolls, ensuring they are informed individually and through the SG Notify feature in Singpass.

Workers’ Party Secretary General and Leader of the Opposition Mr Pritam Singh also asked if ELD would be sending letters and notifications to all non-voters in GE2020 who have not applied to put themselves back on the voter rolls, given the issue with the e-registration system used in that election. This is as there may be those who voted in GE2020 but had yet to inform ELD that they had been struck off the rolls.

Mr Chan replied that all non-voters would be contacted and reminded to check their status on the Registers of Electors.

Political analysts speculate that the upcoming General Election could be called as early as September, following Mr Wong’s recent inauguration as Singapore’s fourth Prime Minister.