MS Explains: What 1st time voters should look out for from now till Polling Day on 3 May

MS Explains: Key General Election milestones voters in Singapore should know

This piece is part of MS Explains, a segment where we provide clarity to common or key topics, making them easier to digest.

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It’s official, Singaporeans will be going to the polls on 3 May.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam dissolved the Singapore Parliament today (15 April), following the formation of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) on 22 Jan — which released a report of its findings on 11 March.

Now that the Writ of election has been issued, there are three more milestones that Singaporeans can look forward to, namely:

• Nomination Day — 23 April
• Cooling-off Day — 2 May
• Polling Day — 3 May

Here’s what Singaporeans, especially first-time voters, should know about each of these days.

EBRC report kickstarts election season

The EBRC report, released on 11 March, detailed any changes to the electoral map.

The EBRC report — which is available for public viewing here — will kickstart election season, with political parties deciding their slates in the wards they intend to contest.

This upcoming GE, there are 15 Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and 18 Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs).

The 33 GRCs and SMCs will be represented by a total of 97 elected MPs.

The report also provides a breakdown of the number of electors for every electoral division, with the largest being Ang Mo Kio GRC with 190,800 electors, and the smallest being Yuhua SMC with 20,252 electors.

What follows the release of the report is the issuance of the Writ of Election — which was issued on 15 April.

In GE2020, the Writ of Election was issued about three months after the EBRC report. In GE2015, it happened within a month.

Singaporeans can now also look forward to election manifestos and slogans.

Nomination Day marks the start of nine-day campaign period

The Writ of Election states that Nomination Day will occur on 23 April, Wednesday.

On this day, contesting parties are to file their papers at nomination centres before noon.

This year, there are nine nomination centres across Singapore — all educational institutions, from primary schools to junior colleges.

There will be an official announcement of nominated or returned candidates followed by speeches.

Source: Elections Department Singapore

Nomination Day also marks the start of the nine-day campaign period.

What should voters expect during this period?

During the nine days, candidates and political parties will conduct election campaigns to promote and present themselves as the ideal candidate for people to vote for.

Campaigning can be done both physically and online. Candidates will be engaging in activities such as:

• Conducting walkabouts and house-to-house visits
• Distribute pamphlets, handouts, newsletters
• Publish manifestos
• Publish candidate’s biographical details

For GE2025, the last day of campaigning would be 1 May as the next day is Cooling-off Day.

Campaigning activities and election advertising are not allowed on this day, to give voters time to reflect and consider key issues before making their decisions.

Source: The Worker’s Party on Facebook

Things voters should take note of for Polling Day

Finally, Polling Day on 3 May, Saturday is when all those eligible will vote.

The whole GE process leads up to this pivotal day, and it is declared a public holiday.

On this day, voters are required to head down to the ballot boxes from 8am to 8pm.

Source: Yahoo News

If your name is in the certified Register of Electors for a constituency, you are eligible and it is compulsory to vote.

If you are required to work, you should request time-off from your employer.

Should you fail to vote, your name will be taken off the Registers of Electors after the election.

Before heading down to the polling stations, you will need to have your poll or ePoll card and NRIC or valid passport with you.

More information and details can be found here.

Also read: MS Explains: How S’poreans can vote in GE2025 if they’re overseas, a step-by-step guide

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Featured image adapted from Elections Department Singapore on Facebook and Yahoo News.