SINGAPORE: Singapore opposition party Red Dot United has called for a comprehensive internal investigation by the Elections Department in response to approximately 200 Singaporeans who discovered their names were absent from the Red Dot United calls for investigation and accountability into missing voters in the Registers of Electors despite having successfully voted in the 2020 General Election. This issue came to the fore when these individuals who failed to receive their Poll Cards could not vote in the 2023 Presidential Election.
Red Dot United believes that it is essential for the Elections Department to address this situation promptly and restore confidence in the electoral system. The investigation should delve into and identify any lapses or irregularities in order to rectify the discrepancy and prevent such mishaps from occurring in future elections. The affected Singaporeans deserve an explanation and assurance from the authorities that steps will be taken to rectify the situation. By thoroughly investigating this matter, the Elections Department can demonstrate its commitment to fair and transparent elections and restore public confidence in the 2023 Presidential Election process.
“We ask ELD to conduct an immediate investigation and detail the factors and circumstances that led to these process failures. The progress, processes and outcome of such an investigation should be made public, so that the voters can be assured that these were isolated incidents,” posted Red Dot United on its website.
In a statement issued on Aug 24, the Elections Department explained, “Based on ELD’s preliminary checks, the NRICs of some voters may not have been properly scanned by the electronic registration devices used at polling stations in GE2020, resulting in the voter attendance data not being captured in the system. For PE2023, more sensitive electronic registration devices will be deployed at the polling stations.”
The Elections Department will be reaching out to the affected voters who have informed them of this matter. Upon verification, their names will be restored to the registers after the Presidential Election, and they will be able to vote in future elections.
The secretary-general of Red Dot United, Ravi Philemon, revealed that a constituent from Tanjong Pagar GRC reached out to him upon discovering that he was among the affected voters who would be unable to cast their votes on polling day on Sep 1 in the Presidential Election.
“The voter expressed to me that he is very distressed by not receiving his Poll Card and not being able to vote in the Presidential Election 2023 (PE2023). He mentioned that he wrote five emails to the Elections Department Singapore, including to the Head of ELD, but has not received any reply from them, which has increased his anxiety,” said RDU leader Philemon, who has written about the matter to Chan Chun Sing, Minister-in-charge of the Public Service and also a member of parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC.
“In my email to him, I pointed out that the right to vote in Parliamentary and Presidential elections is implied within the structure of our Constitution. I also mentioned that the seemingly cavalier manner in which the ELD is treating a voter who is denied his right to vote in the Presidential Election, through no fault of his own, is unacceptable,” added Philemon.
The party mentioned that further questions should be asked regarding any potential systemic lapse if the investigation reveals these were not isolated incidents. For instance, why isn’t checking the electronic system against the manual system part of the default practice, given that both records were captured at every election? How could the process flow be so vulnerable that significant failures are only discovered by citizens themselves? Lastly, how does the elections department justify infringing upon the sovereign right of 200 citizens to choose their head of state due to a process failure under its watch?