The Elections Department (ELD) has prepared the following contingency plan so that Singaporeans can vote safely.
Here’s what voting will look like should the General Election (GE) be called during this unique situation.
Before heading to the polling station
Check the recommended 2-hour voting time-band on your hardcopy polling card, or the e-Poll card found on your SingPass mobile app. You are encouraged to cast your ballots during the allotted time-band.
Seniors aged 65 years old and above will be allotted recommended 2-hour voting time-bands from 8am to 12 noon. Senior voters who require assistance may be accompanied by 1 household member. Those who are unable to vote during their allotted time-bands can still do so at other times of the day, where they will be able to join priority queues.
Check the queue situation of your assigned polling station online at VoteQ.gowhere.gov.sg (the website will be ready closer to Polling Day).
Don’t forget to put on a face mask before leaving home.
At the polling station
1. Temperature Screening
Temperature screening will be conducted to detect those with fever or respiratory symptoms. Depending on the prevailing COVID-19 situation,
a decision will be made later on whether those with these symptoms will be allowed to vote.
Remember to stand 1m apart from others at all times.
2. Electronic Registration
Lower your mask and show your NRIC to the election official. Scan your NRIC to register.
If you need to pass your NRIC to the official, sanitise your hands first.
3. Receive ballot paper
Sanitise your hands and put on disposable gloves before receiving a ballot paper.
4. Mark your choice
Use the self-marking “X” pen to mark your choice on the ballot paper. You may also use your own pen.
5. Drop your ballot paper into the ballot box
Fold the ballot paper before dropping it into the ballot box.
6. Exit polling station
Dispose of the gloves in the rubbish bag before leaving the polling station.
The whole process within the polling station should not take more than
5 minutes.
Ensuring Safe Voting
To reduce potential crowding, 220 more polling stations will be introduced at the next GE. The total of 1,100 polling stations will also reduce the number of voters per station by 600 – from 3,000 to 2,400.
Voters who are on Stay-Home Notice (SHN) at designated facilities, such as hotels, will also vote at special polling stations away from other voters.
Election
officials will be equipped with appropriate protective gear (e.g. surgical masks, disposable gloves, face shields, pocket-sized hand sanitisers) to carry out their duties safely. They will also have ready access to water and soap to wash their hands
regularly.
Dedicated cleaners will also be deployed at all polling stations to ensure a high level of hygiene and cleaning frequency throughout polling hours. Cleaners will be deployed
to clean common touch-points (e.g. polling booths, self-inking “X” pens) within the polling area at least once every half hour. The cleaners will also thoroughly disinfect the polling stations after the polling stations have closed.
Watch this video for more information:
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