How are overseas votes counted?
Postal voting for overseas Singaporeans will be used for the first time during the Presidential Election, after changes to election laws were passed earlier this year.
There are also 10 overseas polling stations in the following cities: Beijing, Canberra, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, Tokyo and Washington.
All ballot papers cast by overseas voters must reach Singapore within 10 days after Polling Day. The returning officer will arrange for the counting of overseas votes to be conducted in the presence of the candidates and their counting agents as soon as practicable after the 10th day from Polling Day.
The returning officer may extend the time for overseas votes to reach Singapore by another seven days if two conditions are fulfilled: The total number of overseas voters is material to the election outcome, and the returning officer is satisfied that more time is needed for the overseas votes to reach Singapore in the event of disruptions in overseas postal services.
The rules relating to the counting, recounting and rejection of votes cast locally are generally applicable to votes cast at overseas polling stations.
For votes cast by post, a pre-count examination of postal voting papers comprising the return envelope with the postal ballot papers enclosed will be conducted to ensure only bona fide postal ballot papers are counted.
This will help to sieve out return envelopes that do not meet the criteria to be accepted for counting, such as those torn or with stamps dated on Polling Day or later.
When will the results be announced?
When counting is completed for all the votes cast, including any recount, the returning officer will tally the number of votes given to each candidate based on the records of counting received.
Once this is ascertained, the returning officer will announce the number of votes given to each candidate to the candidates and their principal election agents present at the principal counting centre.
If the number of eligible overseas voters is less than the difference between the top two candidates, the returning officer will declare the candidate with the highest number of votes as the elected President.
If the number of overseas voters is equal to or more than the difference between the top two candidates, then the returning officer will announce the votes cast locally for each candidate, and the date and venue at which the ballot papers cast overseas will be counted.