IMPORTANT REMINDERS

• Familiarise yourself with the law on Presidential elections if you are thinking of standing as a candidate at a presidential election.
• The application for the Certificate of Eligibility and the community declaration must be submitted by the fifth day after the Writ of Election is issued. We encourage you to submit these early.
• The application for a Political Donation Certificate must be made not later than two clear days (excluding Sundays and public holidays) before Nomination Day.
• Fill up your name and particulars, and ensure that the names and particulars of your subscribers (i.e. proposer, seconder and assentors) are filled up correctly in the Nomination Paper.
• All forms should be filled in English and all fields should be completed.
• Make sure your proposer, seconder and assentors are registered electors whose names are found in the current Registers of Electors.
• Read the Explanatory Material on Role of the President under the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Constitution) and understand the President’s role under the Constitution.
• Ensure that you consent to being a candidate and make the declaration required under Section B in the Nomination Paper before a Commissioner for Oaths or a Justice of the Peace.

• Ensure that you have your Nomination papers and the required number of subscribers (i.e. proposer, seconder and at least four assentors) to gain entry into the Nomination Place.

• Present your Nomination papers, in person to the Returning Officer at the Nomination Place on Nomination Day, which comprise:

  1. your Nomination Paper (in duplicate);
  2. your Certificate of Eligibility (in duplicate);
  3. your Political Donation Certificate (in duplicate); and
  4. your Community Certificate issued by the Community Committee (or, where the election is not a reserved election, your Notice of Rejection of Application for Community Certificate; or your Notice of Acceptance of Community Declaration together with the Statutory Declaration that Nominee Does Not Belong to Any Community) (in duplicate).
• Remember to pay the election deposit in full before 12 noon on Nomination Day. Payment may be made via electronic funds transfer (i.e. PayNow or bank transfer), bank draft, or by a cheque certified by the drawee bank as good for payment of the sum stated on it (payable to “ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT”). Do not use a personal cheque or cash to pay the election deposit. We encourage you to pay the deposit early.
• Bring along your original NRIC or passport when you deliver your Nomination papers in duplicate at the Nomination Place on Nomination Day.

• Appoint not more than 20 election agents, one of whom is to be the principal election agent, before any campaign contributions are accepted, or any election expenses are incurred.
• Ensure that proper accounts of the election expenses are maintained and make sure that your principal election agent and election agents understand their roles and obligations.
• Campaign in a way that is in keeping with the decorum and dignity of the office of the President.
• Be aware of the role of the President as set out in the Constitution and do not make statements or promises which exceed the constitutionally-prescribed role of the President.
• Do not engage in negative campaigning practices, e.g. denigrating or making false statements about opposing candidates, or making statements that may stoke racial or religious tensions or affect social cohesion.
• Issue written authorities to persons who conduct election activity. Submit to the Returning Officer the particulars in duplicate of everyone whom you or any of your election agents has issued the written authorities.

• Issue written authorities to third parties who:

  1. publish or cause to be published any paid Online Election Advertising (OEA); and
  2. publish or cause to be published, or publicly display or cause to be publicly displayed any non-online election advertising.
• Ensure your banners, flags and posters are publicly displayed in the manner set out in section 42F of the Presidential Elections Act 1991 and the Presidential Elections (Election Advertising) Regulations 2023.
• Ensure that the display of banners, flags and posters adhere with the conditions stated in the Returning Officer’s permit.
• Lodge a copy, detailed diagram or drawing of each banner, flag and poster with the Returning Officer, together with the published-by requirements, before the banner, flag or poster is publicly displayed.
• Ensure that every banner, flag and poster displayed (including those on the perambulating vehicles) is affixed with a stamp bearing the official mark of the Returning Officer.
• Do not display small or large non-online election advertising in excess of the maximum number allowed to be publicly displayed by or on behalf of a candidate.
• Ensure that the banners, flags and posters are only displayed at permissible locations.
• Do not display banners, flags and posters in any area within 50 metres of any polling station.
• Ensure that your banners, flags and posters do not pose a safety hazard or risk; and comply with prevailing safety guidelines or requirements.
• Do not destroy, damage, deface or remove any banners, flags and posters displayed by other candidates.
• Apply for relevant Police permits for the conduct of election meetings or for the use of vehicles (mechanically-propelled or otherwise) to broadcast pre-recorded election messages during campaigning.
• Do not carry out election activities like public speaking without first obtaining a Police permit.

• Declare to the Returning Officer all OEA and non-online election advertising published using an electronic service (such as on an Internet platform, or using communication services such as private-messaging services, email, SMS):

  1. within 12 hours after the start of the campaign period, if the election advertising is published within 12 hours after the start of the campaign period; and
  2. in advance before any such election advertising is published, if the election advertising is published after 12 hours from the start of the campaign period.
• Declare to the Returning Officer if the election advertising is paid for, and if so, provide further information including the identity particulars of the publisher of the paid election advertising, the date on which the paid election advertising was or will be first published, the period that the paid election advertising will appear for, and the source of funding for the paid election advertising (i.e. whether money was received from the candidate or any of his election agents, or any other person). The declaration can be made via Candidate Services.
• Do not set up your election office in the area within 200 metres of any polling station.
• Do not set up more than one election office for each polling district.
• Ensure that your polling agents, counting agents or other supporters do not wear, carry or display any badge, symbol, flag, advertisement, poster and placard as political propaganda on Cooling-off Day and Polling Day.

• Appoint your polling agents early and inform the presiding officer at each polling station in writing of the name of polling agent(s) who would be present at that polling station.
• Be present at the polling station 15 minutes before polling begins; and at the close of polling, if you or your polling agents wish to witness the sealing of the ballot boxes.
• Remember to complete the Oath of Secrecy and bring it with you when you visit the first polling station.
• Do comply and ensure that your polling agents comply with all reasonable requests made by election officials in the polling station to ensure smooth and orderly poll.
• Inform your polling agents to pay close attention when election officials are reading out the particulars of the voters, if they want to keep track as to who has voted.
• Make sure that you and your polling agents wear the election passes at all times while in any polling station. Only you will be allowed to wear your symbol when visiting the polling stations.
• Do not use threats, intimidation, deception or fraud to persuade voters to vote in a particular way.
• Do not disrupt or influence the voting process; e.g., dissuade anyone from voting.
• Do note that at the close of poll, you and your polling agents may observe the packing of election materials into envelopes and affix your seals or sign on the envelopes. You and your polling agents may also affix their seals or sign on the ballot boxes after the election officials have completed sealing of the ballot boxes at the close of poll. Do not paste over the Returning Officer’s seals or damage the Returning Officer’s seals in the process.

• Submit the Indemnity Form for Participation in Observing the Transportation of Sealed Ballot Boxes two hours before the close of poll to the election officials if you are boarding the vehicle, and decide in advance who will be boarding the vehicle.
• Observe the rules stated in the Indemnity Form for Participation in Observing the Transportation of Sealed Ballot Boxes.
• Do not touch the sealed ballot boxes.
• Do not smoke, eat or drink onboard the vehicle.
• Do not use any photography, audio or videography equipment while onboard the vehicle.

• Appoint your counting agents well ahead of time and notify the election officials in writing of the names and addresses of the counting agents who would be present at that counting centre. You may appoint one counting agent at every counting place to observe the proceedings for counting of votes cast in Singapore.
• For counting of votes cast overseas, you may appoint not more than one counting agent for every 5,000 overseas electors or not more than three counting agents (whichever is higher) to observe the count.
• Do not touch the ballot papers during the counting of votes or attempt to read the serial number printed at the back of each ballot paper at any time.

• Remove all banners, flags and posters within six days after Polling Day. Ensure all materials used for the display (e.g. cable ties) are completely removed.
• Submit to the Returning Officer a declaration that you and your election agents did not authorise any foreigner to conduct any election activity and did not undertake or authorise any conduct of election activities in accordance with the directions, instructions or wishes of a foreign principal. The declaration must be submitted no later than the seventh day after the election result is published in the Government Gazette.
• Submit a return respecting election expenses and declarations by you and your principal election agent to the Returning Officer within 31 days after the election result is published in the Government Gazette. Payments for claims and election expenses must be made no later than 28 days after the election result is published in the Government Gazette.
• Submit a Post-Election Donation Report and Post-election Declaration to the Registrar, Registry of Political Donations within 31 days after the election result is published in the Government Gazette. You must not accept contributions from impermissible sources, and in the 12 months before the election, must not accept anonymous donations totalling $5,000 or more.

A person convicted of a Corrupt Practice under the Presidential Elections Act 1991 will not be allowed to do the following things for seven years from the date of his conviction:

1. register as an elector;
2. vote at an election;
3. be elected as the President or a Member of Parliament (MP); and
4. be appointed as an election agent.

The following acts constitute Corrupt Practices under the Presidential Elections Act 1991:

1. aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring of a person to cast the vote in the name of someone else (personation);
2. treating, undue influence or bribery as defined in the Presidential Elections Act 1991;

3. non-compliance with the published-by requirements, which require that any election advertising published or publicly displayed during the election period should include on or in it:

   1. the identity particulars of every person who authorised the publishing of the election advertising;
   2. the identity particulars of every person who approved the content in the election advertising before the election advertising is published, if the content is approved by a person not in i.;
   3. the identity particulars of every person for whom or at whose direction the election advertising was published if the person is not in paragraph i. or ii.;
   4. if all or part of the production of the election advertising, or the publication of the election advertising, is paid for in money or money’s worth:
   1. the fact that the production of the election advertising, or the publication of the election advertising, is paid for; and
   2. the identity particulars of every person who paid for the production of the election advertising, or the publication of the election advertising; and
   5. the identity particulars of every printer of the election advertising, if the election advertising is printed.
4. knowingly makes or publishes in Singapore, before or during any election, for the purpose of affecting the return of any candidate content that is or contains, any false statement of fact in relation to the personal character or conduct of the candidate;
5. knowingly makes or publishes in Singapore, before or during any election, for the purpose of promoting or procuring the election of any candidate content that is or contains, any false statement of the withdrawal of any other candidate at the election; or
6. being a candidate or election agent, knowingly make the declaration as to election expenses or corrections to returns respecting election expenses falsely.

A person convicted of an illegal practice under the Presidential Elections Act 1991 will not be allowed to do the following things for three years from the date of his conviction:

1. register as an elector;
2. vote at an election; and
3. be elected as the President or an MP.

It is an Illegal Practice for candidates to knowingly spend more than the maximum amount allowable under the law. But take note that this amount does not include candidates’ personal expenses or fees paid to their election agents that amount to $500 or less.

It is also an Illegal Practice to expend on the following acts for the purpose of swaying the voters’ choice of candidate:

1. convey voters to and from the poll whether by means of hiring any form of transport or otherwise;
2. pay any elector or voter to use a house, land, building or premises for the exhibition of an address, bill or notice; or
3. pay any elector or voter to exhibit an address, bill or notice.

No one is allowed to let, lend, employ, hire, borrow or use a vehicle for the transportation of electors or voters to or from the polling station, except when the vehicle is used to transport himself or his immediate family members to and from the polling station.

It may also be an Illegal Practice if an election agent fails to follow the law relating to:

1. claims and payments; and
2. returns and declarations, for election expenses.

In relation to claims and payments, they should not make any payment to a claim if the claim is made to them after 14 days from the date of publication of the election result in the Government Gazette. They should also ensure that if a claim is made legally, the payment must be made within 28 days of the afore-mentioned date.

The candidate shall be guilty of an Illegal Practice if the post-election declaration on no foreign influence is not submitted to the Returning Officer by the seventh day after the election result is published in the Government Gazette.