SINGAPORE - Workers' Party candidate Lee Li Lian has won the Punggol East by-election, taking 54.5 per cent of the valid votes cast, over PAP candidate Koh Poh Koon's 43.7 per cent. Returning Officer Yam Ah Mee announced that of 29,415 valid votes cast, Ms Lee had taken a total of 16,038 votes, over Dr Koh's 12,856 votes. SDA candidate Desmond Lim, with 168 votes, and RP chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam, with 353 votes, both forfeited their election deposit. Earlier updates After nine days of hustings, in which four candidates stated their case - on the ground, at rallies, on social media and via YouTube - as to why they were the best people to serve the Single-Member Constituency in Parliament, the 31,649 voters of Punggol East finally had their say at the ballot box today. The ballot boxes at 10 polling stations were open from 8am to 8pm, while 59 overseas citizens also cast their vote on the same day. The by-election was called less than a month after previous MP Michael Palmer - the former Speaker of the House - resigned following his admission of an extramarital affair. 8.15pm update: Workers' Party candidate Lee Li Lian was the first to arrive at North Vista Secondary School, one of two counting centres (along with Rivervale Primary School). She was followed by Singapore Democratic Alliance chief Desmond Lim and Reform Party Secretary-General Kenneth Jeyaretnam. People's Action Party candidate Koh Poh Koon chose to meet up with supporters at the local PCF at Block 124A Rivervale Drive before heading for the counting centres. 8.30pm update: Buses carrying counting officials and ballot boxes have arrived at North Vista Secondary School and Rivervale Primary School; the count is under way. Three candidates - WP's Lee, SDA's Lim and RP's Jeyaretnam are at North Vista Secondary, while PAP's Koh is expected to leave the local party base in about 15 minutes. 9pm update: PAP's Koh leaves PAP's PCF base for the counting centres, accompanied by a handful of supporters. Minister of State Teo Ser Luck says DPM Teo Chee Hean will join the team later in the night. The Reform Party will be having a private, closed-door gathering at 10pm, members say. Among the party's members spotted outside the North Vista Secondary School gates are Osman Sulaiman, Prabu, Vignes and Hazel Yap. 9.30pm update: Sources say it's a clear two-horse race, with PAP and WP neck and neck in the count so far. SDA and RP candidates could be in danger of losing their election deposit. 9.50pm update: PAP sources nod when asked by TODAY if the count was going well so far for candidate Koh Poh Koon. Dr Koh himself says: "It's still too early to tell. Let the results speak for themselves." Meanwhile, RP members Andy Zhu and Osman Sulaiman says it was unlikely that Kenneth Jeyaretnam had condeded defeat at this point. "Impossible. I don't think he made that statement," says Mr Osman, while Mr Zhu says he "hadn't heard" Mr Jeyaretnam say it. 10pm update: SDA's Desmond Lim, speaking to the media at North Vista Secondary School, says: "It has been a fast and hard race to the end. I'm aware of the risk and challenges. However, SDA has to contest to keep the political frame alive. Whatever the results are, it will not dampen the SDA's spirits. Nevertheless, I would like to thank the residents of Punggol East for their support." A party representative says the candidate is heading home to be with family and requested for privacy. Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean arrives at the local PAP HQ. 10.25pm update: RP's Kenneth Jeyaretnam on reports he's conceded defeat: "This is complete fabrication. I haven't made any statement. The goal is to build democracy and we will never concede defeat in that." -- Refresh this page for updates once the polls close at 8pm, or get the live stream on our Twitter and Facebook pages. You can also view videos of the candidates on our video page.