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PREPARING FOR NOMINATION

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Nomination papers must be delivered in person to the
Returning Officer between 11 am and 12 noon on Nomination Day. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.
DOCUMENTS FOR NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES

To be nominated as a candidate, the following documents (collectively known as "Nomination papers") must be filled up correctly and delivered in person to the Returning Officer before the closing time/cut-off time for submission of the Nomination papers on Nomination Day:

    Documents required Actions to be taken by person seeking nomination as a candidate for Parliamentary election via Candidate Services
    May prepare up to four draft Nomination Papers with the option to electronically submit them to the Elections Department for early checks
    Submit the Application for Political Donation Certificate form not later than two clear days (excluding Sundays and public holidays) before Nomination Day
    • Certificate of Malay Community Committee; or
    • Certificate of Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee
    		Submit an Application for Certificate of Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee form or Application for Certificate of Malay Community Committee form not later than two clear days (excluding Sundays and public holidays) before Nomination Day

Candidates must make payment for the election deposit before 12 noon on Nomination Day. Payment can be made via electronic funds transfer (i.e. PayNow or bank transfer), or by a bank draft or a cheque certified by the drawee bank as good for payment of the sum stated on it (payable to "ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT"). Candidates are strongly encouraged to make payment early via electronic funds transfer before Nomination Day. For the steps on making electronic payment, candidates may refer to the screenshots on Pay Your Election Deposit digital service to find out how to do so.

In addition to the proposer, seconder and assentors, each candidate may appoint one other person to enter the Nomination Place with him to deliver his Nomination papers. Candidates must appoint this person in writing before he can enter the Nomination Place. To do this, candidates should submit the duly completed and printed Appointment of One Other Person form to the election official at the Nomination Table within the Nomination Place on Nomination Day.

  Appointment of One Other Person (pdf file: 22 KB)


The Nomination Paper for SMC contains details of the candidate, the electoral division that the candidate seeks election in, names and NRIC numbers of the subscribers (i.e. the proposer, seconder and at least four assentors) who must be in the Register of Electors of the electoral division that the candidate seeks election in, and a statutory declaration by the candidate seeking nomination.

The Nomination Paper may be prepared online via Candidate Services, and each candidate can maintain up to four drafts. The election agents appointed by the candidates will be able to view and edit the drafts.

HOW TO FILL IN THE NOMINATION PAPER

When filling in the Nomination Paper, do take note of the following:

  1. do not leave any part of the Nomination Paper blank;
  2. use English to fill in the Nomination Paper to facilitate checking; and
  3. if filling in by hand, fill in the Nomination Paper legibly and use indelible ink as far as possible.

The Nomination Paper has three sections which must be completed accurately as follows:


SECTION A

  1. Fill in the nominee's name (as stated in NRIC and in block letters), NRIC number, sex, and occupation.
  2. Fill in the electoral division that the nominee seeks election in.
  3. Fill in the name (as stated in NRIC) and NRIC number of:

    4. one proposer;

    one seconder; and

    at least four assentors (up to a maximum of eight assentors).


    Every proposer, seconder and assentor must be registered as an elector in the applicable Register of Electors.


  4. Every proposer, seconder, and assentor must sign in Section A.
  5. Any correction to particulars given under "Details of Nominee" should be initialled by any one of the proposer, seconder or assentors. Any correction to particulars given under "Details of Persons Nominating" should be initialled by the person to whom the change relates.
  6. Any correction to substitute the nominee or any of the proposer, seconder, or assentors with a different person will require the submission of a fresh Nomination Paper made before a Justice of the Peace or Commissioner for Oaths and so evidenced.
SECTION B

  1. The nominee must sign a statement/declaration stating to the effect that:
    • he is qualified to be elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the electoral division that he seeks election in;
    • he consents to the nomination;
    • he is a member of and is standing for a political party, or is standing as an independent candidate, as indicated in the section;

  2. This statement/declaration must be made before a Justice of the Peace or Commissioner for Oaths.
  3. If any correction is made to the statement/declaration in Section B after it has been made before a Justice of the Peace or Commissioner for Oaths, it must be made
    before a Justice of the Peace or Commissioner for Oaths and so evidenced.
SECTION C

  1. The nominee's name as stated in his NRIC will be used for the ballot paper by default. Fill in the nominee's preferred name in block letters if the nominee wishes for his name indicated on the ballot paper to be different from his NRIC name.
    • Additional names may be accepted if these are supported by a deed poll, religious certificate (e.g. baptism certificate, Muslim conversion certificate, Buddhist certificate), or the Statutory Declaration for Reputed Name form that these additional names are reputed names.

  2. The names of candidates on the ballot papers are arranged alphabetically in the order of their surnames in English. If there are two or more candidates with the same surname, then their names will be arranged alphabetically in the order of their other names.
  3. The name on the ballot paper will be printed in the four official languages on the Notice displayed outside polling stations. If the nominee has a preference on how his name should appear in Chinese, Malay and/or Tamil, he can submit the names by completing the Candidate Name in Vernacular Languages for the Notice Outside Polling Stations form via Candidate Services before 12.30 pm on Nomination Day.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Before 12.30 pm on Nomination Day at an election, any candidate may, in writing, indicate to the Returning Officer which of his names as stated in his NRIC the candidate desires should be omitted and which should be specified by initial only.
SUBMISSION OF DRAFT NOMINATION PAPERS FOR SMC FOR EARLY CHECKS

Candidates may choose to submit the draft Nomination Papers for early checks by the Elections Department (ELD) via Candidate Services to ensure that they are in order. Early checks are conducted on a best-efforts basis so that any technical error (e.g. spelling error in name or occupation) can be rectified early. The draft Nomination Papers will be checked at face value, i.e. ELD will not perform any pre-screening to determine whether the candidate meets the qualifications to be nominated as a MP.


IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Submission of the draft Nomination Papers for early checks will be available until
the day before the eve of Nomination Day.


  Nomination Paper for SMC (pdf file: 59 KB)
  Statutory Declaration for Reputed Name (pdf file: 51 KB)
  Candidate Name in Vernacular Languages for the Notice Outside Polling Stations (pdf file: 24 KB)

The Nomination Paper for GRC contains details of each candidate in the group, the electoral division that the group of candidates seeks election in, names and NRIC numbers of the subscribers (i.e. the proposer, seconder and at least four assentors) who must be in the Register of Electors of the electoral division that the group of candidates seeks election in, and a statutory declaration by each candidate in the group seeking nomination.

For an election in a GRC, where elections are to be held on the basis of a group of such number of candidates fixed by law, the number of nominees in the Nomination Paper must match that number of candidates in the group.

The Nomination Paper may be prepared online via Candidate Services, and each candidate can maintain up to four drafts. The election agents appointed by the candidates will be able to view and edit the drafts.

HOW TO FILL IN THE NOMINATION PAPER

When filling in the Nomination Paper, do take note of the following:

  1. do not leave any part of the Nomination Paper blank;
  2. use English to fill in the Nomination Paper to facilitate checking; and
  3. if filling in by hand, fill in the Nomination Paper legibly and use indelible ink as far as possible.

The Nomination Paper has three sections which must be completed accurately as follows:


SECTION A

  1. Fill in each nominee's name (as stated in NRIC and in block letters), NRIC number, sex, and occupation.
  2. Fill in the electoral division that the group of nominees seeks election in.
  3. Fill in the name (as stated in NRIC) and NRIC number of:

    4. one proposer;

    one seconder; and

    at least four assentors (up to a maximum of eight assentors).


    Every proposer, seconder, and assentor must be registered as an elector in the applicable Register of Electors.


  4. Every proposer, seconder, and assentor must sign in Section A.
  5. Any correction to particulars given under "Details of Nominees" should be initialled by any one of the proposer, seconder, or assentors. Any correction to particulars given under "Details of Persons Nominating" should be initialled by the person to whom the change relates.
  6. Any correction to substitute any one of the nominees or
    any of the proposer, seconder, or assentors with a different person will require the submission of a fresh Nomination Paper made before a Justice of the Peace or Commissioner for Oaths and so evidenced.
SECTION B

  1. Each nominee must sign a statement/declaration stating to the effect that as a group of nominees:
    • they are each qualified to be elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the electoral division that the
      group seeks election in;
    • they each consent to the nomination;
    • they are each a member of and are standing for a political party, or are standing as a group of independent candidates, as indicated in the section;

  2. This statement/declaration must be made before a Justice of the Peace or Commissioner for Oaths.
  3. If any correction is made to the statement/declaration in Section B, after it has been made before a Justice of the Peace or Commissioner for Oaths, it must be made before
    a Justice of the Peace or Commissioner for Oaths and so evidenced.
SECTION C

  1. Each nominee's name as stated in his NRIC will be used for the ballot paper by default. Fill in each nominee's preferred name in block letters if the nominee wishes for his name indicated on the ballot paper to be different from his NRIC name.
    • Additional names may be accepted if these are supported by a deed poll, religious certificate (e.g. baptism certificate, Muslim conversion certificate, Buddhist certificate), or the Statutory Declaration for Reputed Name form that these additional names are reputed names.

  2. The names of candidates on the ballot papers are arranged alphabetically in the order of their surnames in English. If there are two or more candidates with the same surname, then their names will be arranged alphabetically in the order of their other names.
  3. The name on the ballot paper will be printed in the four official languages on the Notice displayed outside polling stations. If the nominee has a preference on how his name should appear in Chinese, Malay and/or Tamil, he can submit the names by completing the Candidate Name in Vernacular Languages for the Notice Outside Polling Stations form via Candidate Services before 12.30 pm on Nomination Day.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Before 12.30 pm on Nomination Day at an election, any candidate may, in writing, indicate to the Returning Officer which of his names as stated in his NRIC the candidate desires should be omitted and which should be specified by initial only.
SUBMISSION OF DRAFT NOMINATION PAPERS FOR GRC FOR EARLY CHECKS

Candidates may choose to submit the draft Nomination Papers for early checks by the Elections Department (ELD) via Candidate Services to ensure that they are in order. Early checks are conducted on a best-efforts basis so that any technical errors (e.g. spelling errors in names or occupations) can be rectified early. The draft Nomination Papers will be checked at face value, i.e. ELD will not perform any pre-screening to determine whether each member in the group of candidates meets the qualifications to be nominated as a MP.


IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Submission of the draft Nomination Papers for early checks will be available until
the day before the eve of Nomination Day.


  Nomination Paper for 4-member GRC (pdf file: 64 KB)
  Nomination Paper for 5-member GRC (pdf file: 65 KB)
  Statutory Declaration for Reputed Name (pdf file: 51 KB)
  Candidate Name in Vernacular Languages for the Notice Outside Polling Stations (pdf file: 24 KB)

A Political Donation Certificate issued by the Registrar, Registry of Political Donations (Registrar), is to be delivered in duplicate (as part of the Nomination papers) and in person to the Returning Officer on Nomination Day.

APPLICATION FOR A POLITICAL DONATION CERTIFICATE

To apply for the Political Donation Certificate, the applicant must submit the Application for Political Donation Certificate form to the Registrar. The application may be made online via Candidate Services or at the Elections Department via the Application for Political Donation Certificate form after the Writ of Election is issued but not later than two clear days (excluding Sundays and public holidays) before Nomination Day. Applicants may use the Letter of Authorisation for Hard Copy Submission by Proxy form to authorise a proxy to submit the Application for Political Donation Certificate form in person on their behalf. The applicant must also submit a declaration together with the Application for Political Donation Certificate form.

All reportable political donations (if any) received by or on behalf of a candidate during the 12 months before the date of the declaration will need to be disclosed to the Registrar. The Pre-election Donation Report must contain details of:

  1. every political donation amounting to $10,000 or more made to or for the benefit of the applicant during the reporting period; and
  2. every series of political donations from the same permitted donor adding up to $10,000 or more during the reporting period.

The following must be declared in respect of the relevant reporting period that –

  1. all political donations recorded as having been accepted are from permissible donors;
  2. all political donations in cash which are accepted have been paid into a political donations fund;
  3. no other reportable political donation has been accepted by the applicant;
  4. no anonymous donation in excess of $5,000 has been accepted by the applicant; and
  5. no political donation has been accepted from a donor who is not a permissible donor.

For more details on political donations, candidates may refer to the Political Donations webpage.

ISSUANCE OF A POLITICAL DONATION CERTIFICATE

The Registrar will issue the Political Donation Certificate not later than the eve of Nomination Day, and successful applicants can print their certificates via Candidate Services.



  Application for Political Donation Certificate (pdf file: 209 KB)
  Letter of Authorisation for Hard Copy Submission by Proxy (pdf file: 53 KB)

For groups of candidates seeking election in a Group Representation Constituency (GRC), a certificate from either the Malay Community Committee or the Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee, relating to at least one member of the group, depending on the designation of the GRC, must be delivered in duplicate (as part of the Nomination papers) and in person to the Returning Officer on Nomination Day.

APPLICATION FOR A MALAY COMMUNITY CERTIFICATE

A Certificate of the Malay Community Committee must be produced by each group of candidates who wishes to stand for Parliamentary election in a GRC which has been designated by the President as an electoral division that must have at least one member in the group who is a person belonging to the Malay community.

To apply for the certificate, applicants must submit the Application for Certificate of Malay Community Committee form to the Malay Community Committee. The application may be made online via Candidate Services or at the Elections Department after the Writ of Election is issued but not later than two clear days (excluding Sundays and public holidays) before Nomination Day.

Applicants may submit additional information to support their application. The additional information must be set out in a statutory declaration and not exceed two pages. A copy of the statutory declaration may be submitted online via Candidate Services together with the Application for Certificate of Malay Community Committee form, but the original copy of the statutory declaration must be submitted to the Elections Department (ELD) or by post before the deadline for certificate applications.

Applicants may use the Letter of Authorisation for Hard Copy Submission by Proxy form to authorise a proxy to submit the Application for Certificate of Malay Community Committee form in person on their behalf.

APPLICATION FOR AN INDIAN AND OTHER MINORITY COMMUNITIES CERTIFICATE

A Certificate of the Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee must be produced by each group of candidates who wishes to stand for Parliamentary election in a GRC which has been designated by the President as an electoral division that must have at least one member in the group who is a person belonging to the Indian or other minority community.

To apply for the certificate, applicants must submit the Application for Certificate of Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee form to the Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee. The application may be made online via Candidate Services or at the Elections Department after the Writ of Election is issued but not later than two clear days (excluding Sundays and public holidays) before Nomination Day

Applicants may submit additional information to support their application. The additional information must be set out in a statutory declaration and not exceed two pages. A copy of the statutory declaration may be submitted online via Candidate Services together with the Application for Certificate of Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee form, but the original copy of the statutory declaration must be submitted to ELD or by post before the deadline for certificate applications.

Applicants may use the Letter of Authorisation for Hard Copy Submission by Proxy form to authorise a proxy to submit the Application for Certificate of Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee form in person on their behalf.

ISSUANCE OF A MINORITY COMMUNITY CERTIFICATE

The Malay Community Committee and the Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee will issue the relevant certificates not later than the eve of Nomination Day, and successful applicants can print their certificates via Candidate Services.



  Application for Certificate of Malay Community Committee (pdf file: 16 KB)
  Application for Certificate of Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee (pdf file: 16 KB)
  Letter of Authorisation for Hard Copy Submission by Proxy (pdf file: 53 KB)
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
An election deposit must be made before 12 noon on Nomination Day. A candidate will be deemed to have withdrawn his nomination if no valid election deposit is made by 12 noon on Nomination Day.

The election deposit is fixed by law as the fixed monthly allowance payable to a Member of Parliament (MP) for the month immediately before the date of issue of the Writ of Election, rounded to the nearest $500. The exact amount of the election deposit for an election will be specified in the Notice of the Election issued by the Returning Officer.

PAYMENT MODE

Payment can be made via electronic funds transfer (i.e. PayNow or bank transfer), or by a bank draft or a cheque certified by the drawee bank as good for payment of the sum stated on it (payable to "ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT"), or in such other form or manner as the Returning Officer allows. As electronic payment is subject to the banking transfer limit set by the bank, candidates may need to update the daily transfer limit via the online banking platform or application in order to pay the election deposit amount electronically.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to make payment early before Nomination Day. A receipt showing the candidate’s name and political party (if applicable) will be issued as proof of payment. Payment by bank drafts or cheques should be accompanied by the Payment of Election Deposit form. For payment by electronic funds transfer, the receipt will be issued via Candidate Services.

CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE DEPOSIT MAY BE RETURNED

The election deposit will be returned to the candidate or person who paid for it on the candidate's behalf, if:

  1. the candidate is elected as an MP;
  2. the candidate withdraws his nomination before 12 noon on Nomination Day;
  3. an election has wholly failed;
  4. the candidate is not nominated;
  5. the candidate dies before the start of the poll; or
  6. the candidate does not win at the polls but garners votes exceeding one-eighth of the total number of votes polled in the electoral division or Group Representation Constituency contested by the candidate.


  Payment of Election Deposit (pdf file: 105 KB)

A candidate/group of candidates will need a symbol for campaigning and the symbol will be allotted by the Returning Officer on Nomination Day. The symbol allotted to the candidate/group of candidates will be printed on the ballot paper opposite the candidate's/group of candidates' name(s) on the ballot paper.

CANDIDATE SYMBOL GUIDELINES

A candidate/group of candidates will be allotted a political party's symbol only if the candidate is a member of, or the candidates in the group are members of, that political party; and is/are standing for that party at the election.

Independent candidates/groups of independent candidates (i.e. not standing for a registered political party) should select a symbol from the list which is drawn up by the Returning Officer and published in the Government Gazette. The selection may be made online via Candidate Services and should be done before 12 pm on Nomination Day.

Independent candidates/groups of independent candidates may also submit a request to the Returning Officer to use their own symbol by uploading the design of the symbol via Candidate Services before the eve of Nomination Day. Alternatively, it may also be submitted to the Elections Department in softcopy stored in a USB flash drive (not returnable) for submissions in person. The candidate symbol which the independent candidate/group of independent candidates wishes to use should:

  1. be 400 pixels (width) by 400 pixels (height), and the file size should be about 2MB in JPEG format (.jpg extension); and
  2. include a description of the symbol of not more than five words in English.

RELATED INFORMATION

IMPORTANT REMINDERS
CANDIDATE FAQS
QUALIFYING CRITERIA
OTHER ACTIVITIES BEFORE NOMINATION DAY