GE2020 Is 1st General Election To Use E-Rallies, Contactless Voting
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the dissolving of Parliament today (23 Jun), setting the stage for a General Election in the midst of Covid-19.
An election had to be held now as the People’s Action Party (PAP) seeks a 5-year mandate to continue serving Singaporeans during Covid-19, PM Lee said.
Though there are worries about voter safety, PM Lee assures that there will be measures in place to ensure that we can go to the polls safely.
Unfortunately, physical election rallies will not be possible, but this will be made up with more opportunities for candidates to reach out to voters via livestreams and television.
Read on to find out more about why this General Election will be a special one.
Safe GE2020 during Covid-19
PM Lee emphasised the measures authorities are taking to ensure safe voting during Polling Day.
Some measures include:
- More polling stations to prevent crowds
- Staggered timings for voters
- Priority for senior citizens
- Temperature checks
- Online queue checks
- Contactless voting
More details about the measures can be found here.
Effective party campaigning with special TV slots
Although safe distancing rules are still in place when campaigning is held, ELD says party walkabouts as well as house campaigning can take place.
However, all rallies will be taken online, possibly heralding the first true ‘Internet’ election in Singapore’s history.
Authorities will provide venues that candidates can apply for and do Internet livestreams from — similar to how candidates can normally apply for physical rally venues.
Additionally, all parties will get more slots for television speeches, per the following:
- SMC candidates get 3 minutes’ airtime on TV each
- GRC candidates get 12/15 minutes for 4/5-member GRCs respectively each
Historic ‘Internet’ General Elections
These arrangements will only be done for this GE, making this a historic one indeed.
While we’ll miss the feeling of attending a 10,000-crowd rally and taking the energy in, we’re sure we won’t miss what parties have to say to voters.
Even though there are measures in place, to ensure safety on Polling Day, do check queue situations before going down to vote. Always remember to safely distance yourself from others.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and The Straits Times on Twitter.
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