（Singapore Aug 31, 2023）If voters wear attire with images, or carrying with them items to the polling station that may be construed as influencing other voters or canvassing support for any candidate, they may be turned away from polling stations, Singapore’s Election Department (ELD) has announced regarding tomorrow’s presidential election.
They also said since during the “cooling-off period” from 12am today to 8pm tomorrow, campaigning activity and election advertising, including the publishing, display of or wearing of clothing with a candidate’s symbols, are not allowed.
“This is to give voters time to reflect on their choice for President,” an ELD statement said.
Election advertising refers to any information that can reasonably be regarded as intended to promote, procure or prejudice the electoral success of a candidate or to otherwise enhance or prejudice the standing of a candidate.
Campaigning activities and election advertising which are prohibited during the cooling-off period include: publishing paid and unpaid Online Election Advertising (OEA); publicly displaying non-online election advertising; canvassing, walkabouts, door-to-door visits, visiting homes and workplaces of voters for election-related purposes; holding any form of public assemblies or which engage election issues; wearing, using, carrying or displaying a candidate’s allotted symbol or campaign propaganda (with the exception that the candidate is allowed to wear a replica of the symbol allotted to him).
On Polling Day, voters should refrain from wearing attire with images, or carrying with them items to the polling station, that may be construed as influencing other voters or canvassing support for any particular candidate. If they do so, they may be turned away by election officials at the polling stations, the statement said.
Examples include (but are not limited to) shirts, clothing, bags, or badges with prints on them that are identical to or closely resemble a candidate’s allotted symbol, or bear words that may be interpreted as showing support to a candidate; objects that are identical to or closely resemble a
Candidates and their supporters are reminded that the publication of election surveys and exit polls before the close of polling, on Polling Day is prohibited.
Polling stations will open on Friday — a public holiday — for voting from 8am to 8pm. Ng Kok Song, 75, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, and Tan Kin Lian 75, had worked the ground in the race to the Istana, the official residence and office of the President of Singapore.
Voters may check their polling station’s queue status by scanning the QR code on their poll card before going to vote.
Voters are to bring along their NRIC and poll card for voting. Alternatively, they can also present their digital NRIC and ePoll card on the Singpass app at the polling station.
Special voting arrangements will be piloted at some nursing homes (special polling stations). Voters who are in-patients or residents of these nursing homes can cast their votes at the nursing homes they reside in. The special voting arrangements include voting in person at the polling place(s) set up within the premises of the nursing home, and/or deploying mobile polling team(s) to allow those who are not able to make their way to the polling place(s) to cast their votes at their beds.
