SDP queries inconsistent polling regulations

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Wednesday, 11 May 2011

Singapore Democrats

The Returning Officer
Elections Department
Singapore

Dear Sir/Madam,

I wish to bring to your attention several anomalies regarding the voting process on 7 May 2011.

Inconsistencies at Polling Stations

1. Some of our candidates were not allowed in to the Polling Stations to observe the voting process while others were allowed.

2. At some polling stations, our polling agents were allowed to consume their meals brought to them inside the polling stations while others had to leave the station to eat.

3. Some of our polling stations having to leave their seats in order to visit the toilet or have their meals were not allowed back into the Station if they did not produce a duplicate copy of the Oath of Secrecy upon their return (the original copy was handed over when they first entered the station). Some Presiding Officers even insisted that the polling agents produce a second original Oath of Secrecy form if they wanted to re-enter. At other polling stations there were no such requirements.

4. At one polling station, our polling agents reported that before voting began the Presiding Officer did not permit them to enter the polling station despite all the necessary paperwork being complete. The Presiding Officer demanded a list of all authorised polling agents. This is at odds with the Elections Department which had informed us that we did not have to submit such a list prior to Polling Day.

5. At some polling stations at around 5pm we were stopped from entering the polling stations to deliver dinner to our polling agents. This was not the case at our other Stations.

6. We had a few reserve counting agents. Some Presiding Officers allowed these agents to remain at the counting centres and to replace some who were already scrutineers inside the centres.

Absentees

We note that there were exceedingly large numbers of people who did not vote in some constituencies. One example is the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC where 9.7 percent of voters did not show up to vote. Can we verify the number of absentee ballots?

I would be grateful if you could address the inconsistent regulations at the various polling Stations and counting centres mentioned above. Such discrepancies make the voting process and its monitoring very disconcerting.

Sincerely,

Chee Soon Juan
Secretary-General
Singapore Democratic Party

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Comments (4)

Thu 12 May 2011 7:14 AM | Forward - Overseas Votes

From the overseas votes, its clear that the SDP Holland BKT and Yuhua team did well with the online viewers who were better educated.

Hence the difference in public speaking and candidate caliber is quite evident. SDP should now focus in geographical segregation of the GRCs with the other political parties. If necessary a candidate should stand under another party's banner if there is gerrymandering.

GRCs

Aljunied - PAP 45.28% (-0.01%)
Ang Mo Kio - PAP 69.33% (unchanged)
Bishan-Toa Payoh - PAP 56.93% (-0.01%)
Chua Chu Kang - PAP 61.2% (unchanged)
East Coast - PAP 54.83% (unchanged)
Holland-Bukit Timah - PAP 60.08% (-0.02%)
Jurong - unchanged
Marine Parade - PAP 56.64% (-0.01%)
Moulmein-Kallang - PAP 58.55% (-0.01%)
Nee Soon - PAP 58.40% (-0.01%)
Pasir Ris-Punggol - 64.79% (unchanged)
Sembawang - PAP 63.90% (+0.01%)
Tampines - PAP 57.22% (unchanged)
West Coast - PAP 66.57% (unchanged)

SMCs

Bukit Panjang - PAP 66.27% (+0.01%)
Hong Kah - PAP 70.61% (unchanged)
Hougang - PAP 64.80% (+0.01%)
Joo Chiat - PAP 51.02% (+0.01%)
Mountbatten - PAP 58.62% (-0.03%)
Pioneer - PAP 60.73% (unchanged)
Potong Pasir - PAP 50.36% (unchanged)
Punggol East - PAP 54.54% (+0.01%), WP 41.01% (-0.01%), SDA 4.45% (unchanged)
Radin Mas - PAP 67.10% (-0.01%)
Sengkang West - PAP 58.11% (+0.03%)
Whampoa - PAP 66.10% (-0.01%)
Yuhua - PAP 66.86% (-0.01%)

Thu 12 May 2011 10:42 AM | kranser - Anomalies in Voting/Polling Procedures

Of course, my initial suggestion would be to bring this up to the attention of the proper department, viz the Elections Dept. But after seeing how ridiculously they reacted when told that Tin Pei Ling had breached the rules of the Cooling Off Day, I'm inclined to take a leaf from you-know-who -- and sue. After all, the law has been laid out -- but not followed. So one has good grounds to drag the people responsible to court. Otherwise, they refuse to learn.

- True-blue Singaporean

Thu 12 May 2011 2:24 PM | RedHill - Inconsistent COUNTING

Hi,

Adding to the topic of inconsistent polling regulation, there exist many ambiguities on counting as well.

Just in case anyone is not aware, the below two blog posts by Yawning Bread had garnered much attention lately with regards to such counting ambiguities:

http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/counting-agent-me/

http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/counting-agent-me-too/

Many, including myself, thought anything but an 'X' will render the vote 'spoilt'. However, from the many examples sited, the 'creative' ballot papers were counted (much to my horror!).

I'm glad people now are more open to blog and comment about such election details else many more (such as myself) will still be in the dark. On my part, I'd shared this information to as many friends as possible in trying to educate.

Hope SDP will also raise awareness and educate the people on such matters. You may even want to work with the other parties to rectify such counting ambiguities via parliament.

Sincerely,
RedHill

Thu 12 May 2011 3:22 PM | Tan Tai Wei

Interesting to ask if PAP also met with such "inconsistencies". Or were all things they did were right, the election depertment's alertness being confined to the doings of opposition personnel?