Counting of votes cast in Singapore is conducted immediately after the close of the poll in Singapore. This usually takes place on the night of Polling Day and may continue into the early hours of the next day.
Immediately after the close of poll, the slits on the ballot boxes through which ballot papers are dropped into the boxes are sealed. The ballot boxes are then transported to the assigned counting places for counting of the votes. Each counting place will be designated to count the votes cast at one or more polling stations.
The Returning Officer will publish the address of each counting place in the Government Gazette at least two clear days before Polling Day. Usually, three to seven of such counting places are grouped together in a single venue. This venue is commonly referred to as a counting centre.
After the counting of votes, the results will be transmitted to the Returning Officer at the principal counting centre where the votes will be added up to obtain the total number of votes cast in Singapore for each candidate.
Counting will start as soon as all the ballot boxes which are designated for counting at the same counting place have been received.
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NUMBER OF COUNTING AGENTS
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For counting of votes cast in Singapore at ordinary polling stations and special polling stations established in selected nursing homes
Counting agents must be appointed by the candidate or any of his election agents after Nomination Day. Only one counting agent may be appointed to observe the counting at each counting place. There can be more than one counting place in a counting centre.
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FORMS TO PRODUCE BEFORE ENTERING COUNTING CENTRES AND PRINCIPAL COUNTING CENTRE
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For candidates
The candidate will need to produce a duly completed and signed Oath of Secrecy form (if he has not visited any polling station during the polls) and show his original NRIC (physical or digital) or valid passport at the main entrance of the first counting centre he visits or at the principal counting centre. After checking, the election official will retain the Oath of Secrecy form.
For counting agents
Every counting agent must produce a duly completed and signed Oath of Secrecy form, his appointment in writing as a counting agent and his original NRIC (physical or digital) or valid passport to the election official at the main entrance of the first counting centre. The counting agent’s evidence of appointment should be in the form of the Appointment of Counting Agent form. After checking, the election official will retain both forms.
The counting agent must submit a new and duly completed Appointment of Counting Agent form for each counting centre that he enters.
For principal election agents
The principal election agent will need to produce a duly completed and signed Oath of Secrecy form and show his original NRIC (physical or digital) or valid passport at the main entrance of the principal counting centre before entering. After checking, the election official will retain the Oath of Secrecy form.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Photocopies of the Oath of Secrecy form and Appointment of Counting Agent form will not be accepted.
Nominated candidates and their election agents can download the forms via Candidate Services. The forms in hard copy will also be provided to candidates at the end of nomination proceedings on Nomination Day if the election is contested.
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UNDERSTANDING THE COUNTING PROCESS
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Counting agents should acquaint themselves with the counting procedures so as not to cause unnecessary delay or disruption to the counting process.
Before start of count
At each counting centre, candidates and counting agents may observe the pre-count testing of counting machines to be used for verification. Candidates and counting agents who wish to witness the pre-counting test should be present at the counting centre by 7.30 pm. Each candidate may have only one counting agent accompanying them to observe this process.
The counting of the votes at each counting place must begin as soon as all the ballot boxes containing the ballot papers to be counted at that counting place are received. Although candidates and their counting agents are allowed to observe the counting process, the counting will not be halted just because candidates or their counting agents are not present.
Candidates and counting agents who are present will be invited to inspect the ballot boxes before they are opened for counting. When the ballot boxes are opened, the Returning Officer and his counting assistants shall pour the ballot papers out of the boxes onto the counting table. All the ballot papers will then be mixed together before sorting begins.
Counting process for ballot papers cast at ordinary polling stations in Singapore
During the counting process, the Returning Officer will conduct a sample count to obtain an early indication of the possible outcome of the election, and to help election officials check against the final count result.
The Returning Officer and his staff, while counting the votes, will take all precautions for preventing any person from seeing the numbers printed on the back of the ballot papers.
The sorting and counting process must be carried out continuously, so candidates and their counting agents should avoid interrupting the process.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
During sorting or counting, no one should attempt to read the number printed at the back of each ballot paper. Any attempt to do so is an offence.
Tendered ballot papers will be sorted in a separate pile and sealed. They will not be counted at this time.
Counting process for ballot papers cast at special polling stations established in selected nursing homes
The steps for counting and recounting of ballot papers cast at special polling stations established in selected nursing homes will be the same as the steps for ballot papers cast at ordinary polling stations in Singapore, except for the following:
- counting will commence once a sufficient number of ballot boxes has arrived at each counting place such that voting secrecy will not be affected; and
- no sample count will be conducted due to the small number of voters in nursing homes.
Legal powers of Assistant Returning Officers
During the count, the functions of the Assistant Returning Officer in charge of a counting place are focused on determining whether a ballot paper should be rejected or counted.
Under the law, the following ballot papers must be rejected:
- a ballot paper which does not bear the complete official mark for the authentication of ballot papers or is not initialled by the election official;
- a ballot paper on which votes are given for more than one candidate;
- a ballot paper on which anything is written or marked by which the voter can be identified, e.g. a voter signs or writes his name or NRIC number;
- a ballot paper which is unmarked; and
- a ballot paper which is void for uncertainty.
As the ballot paper shall clearly demarcate the area within which a voter must mark his vote for a candidate, Assistant Returning Officers are required under the law to only consider the marks made by voters within the demarcated area on ballot papers. If a voter makes a mark outside of the demarcated area, the Assistant Returning Officer must disregard that mark when determining whether the voter has given his vote to any candidate.
A ballot paper on which the vote is marked otherwise than by means of a cross or by more than one marking will not be treated as void if the intention of the voter as to which candidate he wishes to give the vote to is clear, and the way the paper is marked does not of itself identify the voter.
The Assistant Returning Officer indicates his decision to reject any ballot paper as invalid by endorsing the word “REJECTED” on the ballot paper. Before doing so, the Assistant Returning Officer must show the ballot paper to candidates or their counting agents who are present at the counting place and hear their views. The decision of the Assistant Returning Officer whether any ballot paper shall be rejected is final.
When counting is completed at a counting place, the Assistant Returning Officer will orally announce the number of votes given to each candidate to the candidates and counting agents who are present at the counting place and then transmit the certified record of counting containing the number of votes given to each candidate to the principal counting centre for tallying of votes.