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GE2020: Opposition parties criticise extension of voting hours to 10pm, calling it ‘outrageous and irregular’

SINGAPORE — Some opposition parties criticised the move by the Elections Department Singapore (ELD) to extend voting to 10pm on Friday (July 10). The reason for the extension, ELD said, was because long queues remained at some polling stations even at 8pm, when voting was originally supposed to end.

A man casts his vote at the polling station in Dunearn Secondary School on July 10, 2020.

A man casts his vote at the polling station in Dunearn Secondary School on July 10, 2020.

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  • The Singapore Democratc Party described the move as “highly irregular and to (its) knowledge has never been done before”
  • Peoples Voice chief Lim Tean called the extension “outrageous and totally out of order”
  • Progress Singapore Party said that extension of polling hours has “compromised the integrity of the process”

 

SINGAPORE — Some opposition parties criticised the move by the Elections Department Singapore (ELD) to extend voting to 10pm on Friday (July 10). The reason for the extension, ELD said, was because long queues remained at some polling stations even at 8pm, when voting was originally supposed to end.

The first to hit back against the announcement was the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), which said the move was “highly irregular and to the SDP's knowledge has never been done before”. 

“Some of our polling agents have to leave as they understood that polling will end at 8pm. This will leave some of our polling stations unattended when the boxes are sealed and may render the results questionable,” the SDP added.

“We call on the ELD to rescind the decision and to end polling at 8pm as was announced to all parties.”

Peoples Voice chief Lim Tean called the extension “outrageous and totally out of order”. 

“Peoples Voice is totally mystified why voting has been extended till 10pm. Our tour of the polling stations showed that by 4pm there was only a trickle of voters going to the polling stations to vote,” he said in a statement.

“If the Elections Department claims that there are still long queues at some stations, they should verify which they are, so that the facts can be verified.”

He added that special provisions could perhaps be made for those stations to be open longer. provided all the voters had turned up by 8pm. 

“But there is absolutely no grounds for a general extension of two hours to the voting,” he said.

The National Solidarity Party said it was surprised by the announcement of the extension, but added: “There is nothing we can do.” 

“We have already objected to holding the election during this pandemic as the reasons are clear to everyone. And now with this delay, it places further undue stress and burden on our people especially with the last minute announcement.”

Singapore People’s Party chief Steve Chia, meanwhile, said that upon learning of the extension, the party immediately informed all its polling agents to stay safe and a distance away.

This is because from 7pm onwards, voters on stay-home notices at home, on medical certificate for acute respiratory infection, or who are having a fever, will be allowed into the polling stations to vote.

ELD said in its statement that if such voters turn up at polling stations that still have long queues, election officials will ask them to identify themselves and will isolate them in a separate holding area, to prevent them from mixing with other voters. 

Once the queue has cleared, election officials will then arrange for these voters to cast their ballots.

Mr Chia said SPP will ask its polling agents to return after voting closes at 10pm to witness the sealing of the ballot boxes.

“We regret such sudden unplanned extensions but will do whatever is necessary to safeguard the integrity of the ballot box and voting process in our contested constituencies,” he added.

People’s Power Party chief Goh Meng Seng issued a statement in a video on Facebook.

He said the ELD did not tell the party that its polling agents would need personal protection equipment (PPE) to stay on past 7pm, when unwell voters and those on stay-home notices would be allowed into polling stations, until voting was closed.

“They said that those without PPE would not be able to stay. Luckily for us we were able to get PPE for our polling agents. But the next thing, they said they would extend the voting hours to 10pm,” he said.

He added that in the MacPherson single seat ward, which he is contesting as a candidate, he has no knowledge of any long queues past 8pm at any polling stations. 

“So why should (polling) be extended? We will protest this irregularity that the ELD has sent out and we demand an answer from the ELD.”

Progress Singapore Party (PSP) echoed his sentiments, saying in a statement: “We believe strongly that the unprecedented last-minute call for an extension of polling hours is highly irregular and has compromised the integrity of the process.” 

“To announce an extension just 90 minutes before polls are to close demonstrates arbitrary, last-minute decision making. It has obviously been done with little thought about the implications and consequences,” the party added.

“This is a direct result of bad planning and the incessant urge to rush an election during the Covid period. This underscores the disregard for public health as well as our democratic processes.”

PSP also noted that because of this extension, voters who are well will have to be in the polling centre at the same time as those on stay-home notice, who may be infected with Covid-19 but asymptomatic. 

“This puts people in grave danger. It is wrong. Politics has been prioritised over people’s lives,” the party said. 

Meanwhile, the Workers’ Party said it would not be commenting on the extension of voting hours.

Mr Desmond Lim, chairman of the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), said in a statement that the alliance was "very surprised" to hear of the extension of the voting hours.

"To the best of our knowledge this has never occurred in the history of Singapore elections. In fact we are wondering if the Election Act allows for such an extension decision (to be) made unilaterally," the SDA said.

"The ballot boxes were left without the presence and supervision of our polling agents during this extended time and we demand for a proper justification for this action."

The ELD said in a statement that despite the extension of voting hours, there is no change to the polling and counting procedures. Candidates and parties will be able to continue to exercise their rights and obligations in ensuring a fair and open election, it said.

"Candidates and polling agents will continue to be allowed in the polling stations during the extended hours, and can witness the sealing of ballot boxes at the close of the poll and accompany the transport of sealed ballot boxes from the polling stations to the counting centres."

At the counting centres, candidates and counting agents can also observe the counting process, give their views on rejected ballots, and affix their seals or sign on sealed ballot boxes after the announcements of results, the ELD added.

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