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PREPARING FOR NOMINATION

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Nomination papers must be delivered in person with 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 Presidential 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 an Application for Certificate of Eligibility form by the fifth day after the Writ of Election is issued
    Submit the Community Declaration form by the fifth day after the date of the Writ of Election is issued
    Submit the Pre-election Donation Report and Pre-election Declaration forms 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); 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”). 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 they can do so.

Candidates are encouraged to submit the Voluntary Undertaking on Campaigning by Presidential Election Candidate form to voluntarily undertake to campaign for election as President in a manner that is dignified, decorous and consistent with the President’s position as the Head of State and the symbol of national unity. The completed form will be put up on a noticeboard at the Nomination Centre, together with the candidate’s Nomination papers, during nomination proceedings.

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 use the Appointment of One Other Person form. Candidates should submit the duly completed and printed form to the election official on Nomination Day before the one other person can enter the Nomination Place.

  Voluntary Undertaking on Campaigning by Presidential Election Candidate (pdf file: 122 KB)
  Appointment of One Other Person (pdf file: 128 KB)



The Nomination Paper contains details of the candidate, names and NRIC numbers of the subscribers (i.e. the proposer, seconder and at least four assentors) who must be in the Registers of Electors, and a statutory declaration.

The Nomination Paper may be prepared online via Candidate Services, and candidates can maintain up to four drafts each. 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. 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 shown in NRIC), NRIC number, sex, and occupation.
    • 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 statutory declaration that these additional names are reputed names.
  2. Fill in the name (as shown in NRIC) and NRIC number of:

    3. 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 current Registers of Electors.


  3. Every proposer, seconder, and assentor must sign in Section A.
  4. Any correction to particulars given under “Details of Nominee” must be initialled by any one of the proposer, seconder, or assentors. Any correction to particulars given under “Details of Persons Nominating” must be initialled by the person to whom the change relates.
SECTION B

  1. The nominee must sign a statement or declaration stating to the effect that:
    • he is qualified to be elected as the President of the Republic of Singapore;
    • he consents to the nomination;
    • he is not a member of any political party; and
    • he has read the explanatory material on the role of the President under the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Constitution) provided by the Returning Officer and understands the President’s role under the Constitution, and in particular that:
      • the President is the Head of State and the symbol of national unity;
      • it is also the function of the President to safeguard the reserves of Singapore and the integrity of the Public Service of Singapore, and in accordance with the specific discretionary powers conferred on the President by the Constitution;
      • the President must exercise his functions according to the advice of the Cabinet, except where the Constitution otherwise provides; and
      • except in matters related to the exercise of the President’s discretionary powers under the Constitution, the President cannot publicly express any view on legislation or Government policy.
  2. This statement and declaration must be made before a Justice of the Peace or Commissioner for Oaths. If a change must be made to the statement or declaration in Section B, please ensure that it is made before a Justice of the Peace or Commissioner for Oaths and so evidenced.
SECTION C

  1. The nominee’s name on his Nomination Paper, as shown in NRIC, will be used for the ballot paper by default. Fill in the preferred name in block letters if the nominee wishes for the name indicated on the ballot paper to be different from the NRIC name.
  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 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 mentioned in the Nomination Paper the candidate desires should be omitted and which should be specified by initial only.
SUBMISSION OF DRAFT NOMINATION PAPERS 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 best effort 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 based on face value, i.e. ELD will not perform any pre-screening to determine whether the candidate meets the qualification to be nominated as a Presidential candidate.


IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Submission of the draft Nomination Papers for early checks will be available after the candidate is issued a Political Donation Certificate and until the day before the eve of Nomination Day.

  Nomination Paper (pdf file: 165 KB)
  Explanatory Material on Role of the President under the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (pdf file: 165 KB)
  Name in Vernacular Languages for the Notice Outside Polling Stations (pdf file: 136 KB)

A Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) is to be delivered (as part of the Nomination papers) to the Returning Officer, in person by candidates who wish to stand for election as President on Nomination Day.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS COMMITTEE

The function of the PEC is to ensure that candidates for the office of President have the qualifications referred to in Article 19 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Constitution). The PEC comprises six members:

  • the Chairman of the Public Service Commission, who is the PEC Chairman;
  • the Chairman of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority;
  • a member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights appointed by the Chairman of that Council;
  • a member or former member of the Council of Presidential Advertisers (but not the sitting Chairman of that Council or any former member who vacated his seat under Article 37F(2)(a) or (c) of the Constitution), appointed by the Chairman of that Council;
  • a person, who is qualified to be or has been a judge of the Supreme Court, appointed by the Chief Justice; and
  • a person with expertise and experience acquired in the private sector that is relevant to the functions of the Committee, appointed by the Prime Minister.

APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF ELIGIBILITY

To apply for the Certificate of Eligibility, the applicant must submit the Application for Certificate of Eligibility form to the PEC. The form may be prepared online via Candidate Services and it must be printed and submitted to the Secretary to the PEC at the Elections Department during the period:

  1. starting three months before the expiration of the term of office of the incumbent (assuming the office does not fall vacant before the incumbent's term expires); and
  2. ending on the fifth day after the Writ of Election is issued.

The applicant must ensure that all supporting documents (e.g. appointment letters, financial statements, character references) listed in ANNEX E List of Supporting Documents of the application form are duly submitted in hard copy together with the printed form. Candidates are strongly encouraged to also provide the supporting documents in softcopy to facilitate processing. They can do so by storing the documents in a USB flash drive (not returnable) and the filename of each supporting document should match the corresponding document listed in ANNEX E.

Late applications will not be accepted. Candidates may use the Letter of Authorisation for Hard Copy Submission by Proxy form to authorise a proxy to submit the Application for Certificate of Eligibility form in person on their behalf.

ISSUANCE OF A CERTIFICATE OF ELIGIBILITY

The Certificate of Eligibility shall be issued to the applicant if the PEC is satisfied that:

  1. the applicant is a person of integrity, good character and reputation; and
  2. the applicant has, at the date of the Writ of Election, met either the public sector service requirement or the private sector service requirement under Article 19(2)(g) of the Constitution.

The PEC will issue the Certificate of Eligibility or inform unsuccessful applicants of its decision no later than the eve of Nomination Day, and successful applicants can print the certificates via Candidate Services.


IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Persons who wish to contest in the Presidential election must submit applications to both the PEC and to the Community Committee. The PEC must reject an application for a Certificate of Eligibility if the applicant did not submit a Community Declaration form to the Community Committee.

Application forms of successfully nominated candidates will be made public after the close of nomination proceedings until the 21st day after the election result is published in the Government Gazette.

  Application for Certificate of Eligibility (pdf file: 356 KB)
  Letter of Authorisation for Hard Copy Submission by Proxy (pdf file: 152 KB)

Candidates in a Presidential election, regardless of a reserved election or an open election, have to submit a Community Declaration form to the Community Committee. The three main communities are the Chinese community, the Malay community, and the Indian or other minority communities.

If the Community Committee is satisfied that the declarant belongs to that community, the Community Committee will issue the declarant with a Community Certificate to that effect.

In a reserved election, only candidates belonging to the community to which the election is reserved qualify to stand for election.

In an open election, candidates will still need to make a Community Declaration. This is for the purpose of calculating when the next reserved election will be held.

COMMUNITY COMMITTEE

The function of the Community Committee is to decide whether a declarant who has submitted a Community Declaration belongs to the Chinese community, the Malay community, or the Indian or other minority communities.

The Community Committee consist of 16 persons:

  • the Chairman;
  • five members belonging to the Chinese community;
  • five members belonging to the Malay community; and
  • five members belonging to the Indian or other minority communities.

SUBMISSION OF THE COMMUNITY DECLARATION FORM

The submission of the Community Declaration form may be made during the period:

  1. starting three months before expiration of the incumbent President’s term of office (assuming the office does not fall vacant before the incumbent's term expires); and
  2. ending on the fifth day after the Writ of Election issued.

Declarants 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 Community Declaration form, but the original copy of the statutory declaration must be submitted to the Secretary to the PEC at the Elections Department or by post before the deadline for certificate applications.

Late submissions of the Community Declaration form will not be accepted. Candidates may use the Letter of Authorisation for Hard Copy Submission by Proxy form to authorise a proxy to submit the Community Declaration form in person on their behalf.


IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Persons who wish to contest in the Presidential election must submit applications to both the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) and to the Community Committee. The Community Committee must reject an application for a Community Certificate if the applicant did not apply to the PEC for a Certificate of Eligibility.
ISSUANCE OF A COMMUNITY CERTIFICATE

The Community Committee will issue the Community Certificate no later than the eve of Nomination Day. If the declarant does not get a Community Certificate for the community that he considers himself to belong to, the Community Committee may invite him to resubmit another Community Declaration form. If the declarant declines the invitation, he will be issued the Notice of Rejection of Application for Community Certificate. There may be declarants who do not consider themselves to be a member of any of the three main communities. The Community Committee may accept such a Community Declaration form and issue the Notice of Acceptance of Community Declaration to the declarant. Declarants issued with the Notice of Acceptance of Community Declaration are additionally required to submit a Statutory Declaration that Nominee Does Not Belong to Any Community when filing their Nomination papers in person at the Nomination Place on Nomination Day. All successful declarants will be notified via email to print their certificates via Candidate Services.

  Community Declaration (pdf file: 111 KB)
  Statutory Declaration that Nominee Does Not Belong to Any Community (pdf file: 92 KB)
  Letter of Authorisation for Hard Copy Submission by Proxy (pdf file: 152 KB)
The Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act 2021 (FICA) was passed by Parliament on 4 Oct 2021 and assented to by the President on 29 Oct 2021. The provisions related to Politically Significant Persons (PSPs) came into force on 29 Dec 2023. At the same time, the Political Donations Act 2000 (PDA) was repealed, and the existing obligations under the PDA were ported over to FICA. Once the amendments made to relevant Acts and Subsidiary Legislation come into force, we will update the information within this accordion, where applicable.


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

APPLICATION FOR A POLITICAL DONATION CERTIFICATE

To apply for the Political Donation Certificate, the applicant must submit the Pre-election Donation Report and Pre-election Declaration forms to the Registrar. 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. Candidates may use the Letter of Authorisation for Hard Copy Submission by Proxy form to authorise a proxy to submit the Pre-election Donation Report and Pre-election Declaration forms in person on their behalf.

The reporting period for the Pre-election Donation Report and Declaration is 12 months before the date of the Declaration.

The Pre-election Donation Report must contain details of:

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

The applicant must declare that all donations which are required to be recorded have been recorded in the Donation Report, and that the applicant has not received anonymous donations totalling $5,000 or more, or any donations from prohibited donors during the reporting period.

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 the certificates via Candidate Services.

  Pre-election Donation Report and Declaration (pdf file: 193 KB)
  Letter of Authorisation for Hard Copy Submission by Proxy (pdf file: 152 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 at three times the amount of election deposit payable under the Parliamentary Elections Act 1954 (PEA). The election deposit payable by a Parliamentary election candidate as determined under the PEA is an amount equivalent to the fixed monthly allowance payable to a Member of Parliament 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 Writ of Election issued by the Returning Officer.

PAYMENT MODE

Payment can 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”), 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 app in order to pay the election deposit amount electronically.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to make payment early before Nomination Day. A receipt 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 a President;
  2. the candidate withdraws his nomination;
  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 election.

  Payment of Election Deposit (pdf file: 141 KB)

A candidate will need a symbol for campaigning and the symbol will be allotted by the Returning Officer on Nomination Day.

CANDIDATE SYMBOL GUIDELINES

A candidate should select a symbol from the list which is drawn up by the Returning Officer and published in the Government Gazette before Nomination Day. The selection should be done before 12.30 pm on Nomination Day.

Candidates may also request to use their own symbol, which has to be approved by the Returning Officer. If a candidate wishes to use his own symbol, he is advised to submit a request to the Returning Officer early by uploading the design of the symbol via Candidate Services. The candidate symbol which the candidate 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