First-Timer Guide To Voting on General Elections 2020

First-Timer Guide To Voting on General Elections 2020

For those who are going to voice for your first time, it might be an entirely new experience and nerve-wracking especially during the first time you walk into that polling station and everyone is just so silent queuing up. Here are some steps to guide the first timer on their 1st General Election voting.

1. How to tell if you are eligible to vote, here are few details on it:

• Singapore citizen with a pink NRIC
• Aged 21 years and above
• Have a Singapore residential address on your NRIC
• Not previously disqualified from voting

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And you should have your poll card in the mail by now and you can just check on the ELections Department Services (EDS) website and log in using your SingPass to check your status. Or you can check here on this link too.

2. Poll Card is very important as you need to bring it along when you going for your voting and also your NRIC or passport. Your poll card will have the basic information such as:

• Your polling station address: This is where you’ll go to vote. Note that you cannot vote at any other polling station.
• Your allocated voting time: You’ll be given a recommended time slot of 2 hours so that the entire process is more efficient.
• Your electoral division and polling district: This is to basically show you which district your vote will account for.
• If you’re eligible for an express queue: This will likely be for elderly folk aged 65 and above. So if you see the symbol >>> that means you can head to the express lane.

If you have lost your poll card, you can use logging version into the  EDS website using your SingPass. 

Sample of Poll card, source

3. The voting process on 10th July 2020 – As with the current pandemic periods, there might be some new systems. So here are some of the new processes in order:

1. Check-in at the registration table.
2. Collect your ballot paper.
3. Head to a privacy booth and mark an “X” in the area to indicate your choice.
4. Put the ballot paper into the ballot box – do fold it inwards before doing so.
5. Leave the polling station.

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4. Important of Do’s and Don’ts – as voting is a serious and official issue, with the current Covid-19 issue, here are some updates thing to take note on the polling station:

• Social distancing measures are still in place, so voters will be required to wear a mask at all times.
• Likewise, you might find it more sanitary to bring your own pen to mark your ballot paper, rather than use the ones that are provided at the voting booth. Plastic gloves will be provided for this too.
• Although polling stations are open from 8AM-8PM, go during your allotted time slot so that the process will be quicker for you.

When casting your vote:

• Don’t write anything else besides that “X” on your ballot paper, especially if it identifies you in any way.
• If you mark outside the designated area on the ballot paper, your vote will be invalidated.
• Don’t reveal your ballot paper to anyone else.

At the polling station:

• You won’t be allowed to use your handphone or take any pictures at the polling area.
• Avoid bringing a large bag as security may check it.
• Don’t bring your children or pets along, unless it’s a guide dog. They won’t be allowed inside the polling station.
• Don’t wear anything that bears a political party’s symbol.

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