SINGAPORE, Oct 6 — The certified list of non-voters who did not cast their votes at the 2020 General Election (GE) is open for inspection, the Elections Department (ELD) said.

In a news release on Monday (Oct 5), ELD said that the names of these eligible voters who had failed to cast their votes have been removed from the registers of electors, and they will lose their eligibility to vote or stand as a candidate at future elections if their names are not restored to the registers of electors.

The list can be inspected at ELD's premises on Prinsep Street, designated community centres or clubs, as well as Singapore overseas missions that serve as overseas registration centres.

Singaporeans may also check their elector status on ELD's website or from their own “profile” page after logging into SingPass, the national passcode system for government e-services.

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ELD said that non-voters at GE2020 or a previous election who wish to vote at future elections may apply to have their names restored to the registers of electors.

“They are encouraged to apply early as, under the law, we will not be able to restore their names during the period from the date the Writ for an election is issued until after Nomination Day if the election is not contested, or until after Polling Day if a poll is to be taken.” 

For a non-voter who was subject to a Covid-19 quarantine order or was on a stay-home order during the recent Polling Day on July 10, the person “is entitled to have his or her name restored to the relevant register of electors (for) free”.

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They need not apply to restore their names as the Registration Officer handling the registration of electors will be restoring these automatically, ELD said. 

“For non-voters who were subject to a medical certificate and required to not leave their place of residence on July 10, their name will be restored on application without penalty,” ELD added.

Misplaced documents

Another thing of note is that the list of for one group of electors will be published later: These are those who failed to cast their votes at GE2020 in the polling district PN23 of Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

“The list cannot be prepared now because an election official at the Elias Park Primary School Counting Centre inadvertently placed the copy of the register of electors for the polling district… together with the counted ballot papers and other documents into the ballot box that was sealed and is now kept in the Supreme Court vault,” ELD said.

In accordance with the Parliamentary Elections Act, all the sealed boxes containing counted ballot papers and other documents relating to the GE must be kept in safe custody pending destruction at the end of six months after the poll.

Madam Halimah Yacob, as the President of Singapore, has by order directed the Returning Officer, who oversees the conduct of the election, to retrieve this "accidentally sealed" copy of the register of electors on or after January 10, 2021. 

It will thus be published for inspection after Jan 10 next year and the electors in the polling district can then apply in the same manner to have their names restored to the register of electors.

The copy of this particular register must be destroyed by the Returning Officer not later than 30 days from the date of the retrieval. ― TODAY