Singapore GE2020: Voters unable to stick to allotted time slots can still vote at other times, says ELD

SINGAPORE - Seniors who are assigned voting time bands in the morning on Polling Day can vote at other times, if they are unable to stick to their allocated time slots.

Morning slots for the July 10 polls have been reserved for voters who are 65 years and older to minimise their interaction with younger voters and to allow them to vote ahead of others, the Elections Department (ELD) said on Thursday (July 9).

"Family members voting at the same polling station may accompany the senior voter to vote," it added. "However, only one accompanying family member will be accorded priority voting, along with the senior voter."

Seniors who are unable to vote during their allotted time slots will still be given priority and assistance if they show up at other times.

In a statement on the voting arrangements amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the ELD assured seniors, who are considered particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus, that voting is safe.

To prevent crowding, the number of polling stations has been increased from 880 to 1,100. This means each station will serve an average of 2,400 voters, down from 3,000.

For this election, several new measures have been implemented to improve the voting process and ensure the safety of voters amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Voters have to follow the safe distancing markings at their assigned polling stations, and sanitise their hands and put on disposable gloves before receiving their ballot papers.

Polling equipment such as the self-inking pens and contact surfaces will also be sanitised regularly.

The ELD urged voters who are well to vote before 7pm.

A special voting hour, from 7pm to 8pm, mainly caters to voters on stay-home notice orders at home or who are issued medical certificates for acute respiratory infection.

The one-hour slot will also cater to those detected earlier with a temperature of 37.5 deg C or higher.

However, those who are well can still vote if they turn up during the special voting hour, as the law allows for voting from 8am to 8pm.

For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit here.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.