Dr Tan Cheng Bock’s Progress Singapore Party seems to be the first out of the gate in calling for volunteers to join them as polling and counting agents.
In a social media post earlier today on the party’s Facebook page, they write, “Progress Singapore Party is looking for Polling and Counting Agents. Both play an important role in our electoral process. Willing hearts and sharp eyes needed!”.
According to the Elections Department, candidates or their election agents may appoint polling agents to observe that the poll is carried out in accordance with the law. The candidate or their polling agent may observe the process to transport the sealed ballot boxes from the polling stations to the counting centres.
For the role of Counting Agent, the counting of votes cast is usually conducted immediately after the close of the poll. This usually takes place on the night of Polling Day and may continue into the early hours of the next day.
Candidates may appoint counting agents to observe that the counting of votes is carried out in accordance with the law, but each candidate may appoint only one counting agent to observe the counting at each counting place.
Singapore’s next parliamentary general election must be held by 15 April 2021.
The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) usually publishes an updated list of electoral divisions just before elections are called.
Prior to the latest amendments, which have not been announced, there were 16 GRCs, each with four, five or six seats, and 13 Single Member Constituencies (SMC). There were a total of 89 seats contested in the general election of 2015.
On 1 August 2019, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong convened the EBRC, where they would only hold the election before 15 April 2021. However, the committee’s formation was only publicly announced on 4 September 2019. /TISG