Singapore legislation
Section 42
Section 42
Manner of voting
(1)
Each voter entitled to vote must be given one ballot paper and has one vote.
(1A)
Each voter entitled to vote in any group representation constituency has one vote and may vote for any one group of candidates in the manner prescribed by this section.
(2)
The ballot paper must be delivered to the voter by the presiding officer or a person acting under the presiding officer’s authority.
(2A)
Immediately before the ballot paper is delivered to the voter —
the paper must, unless it already bears the complete official mark for the authentication of ballot papers, be affixed, stamped or marked (by writing or otherwise) by the presiding officer in the approved manner with that official mark or the remaining part thereof, or initialled by the presiding officer;
the number and name of the voter, as stated in the copy of the register of electors, must be called out;
the number of the elector must be marked on the counterfoil; and
a mark must be placed in the register against the number of the elector to denote that the elector has received a ballot paper but without showing the particular ballot paper which he or she has received.
(3)
Subject to subsection (3AA), the voter must, on receiving the ballot paper, immediately proceed to such place in the station as may be indicated by the presiding officer or by any person acting under that officer’s authority, and must there secretly mark the paper as near as may be in accordance with the directions given for the guidance of voters under this Act.
(3AA)
3AA
The voter’s mark on the ballot paper must be made in the area demarcated on the ballot paper for that purpose, and not elsewhere.
(3A)
The voter must then fold the paper so as to conceal his or her vote, and must put the paper so folded up into the ballot box.
(3B)
The voter must vote without undue delay and must leave the polling station as soon as he or she has put his or her ballot paper into the ballot box.
(4)
The presiding officer or any person authorised by the presiding officer may ask any voter if the voter understands the method of voting in accordance with this Act and may, if he or she thinks fit, on the application of any voter, explain to the voter, in the presence of the polling agents of the candidates if present, the method of voting in accordance with this Act; but in so doing he or she must carefully abstain from any action which might be construed by the voter as advice or a direction to vote for any particular candidate or group of candidates.
(5)
The presiding officer, on the application of a voter who is incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause from voting in the manner prescribed by this Act, must mark the ballot paper of the voter in the manner directed by the voter, and must cause the ballot paper to be placed in the ballot box.
(6)
The presiding officer may, at any time while a poll is proceeding, take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that no voter delays unduly in any place reserved for the marking of ballot papers.
(7)
During the taking of the poll, the presiding officer must cause to be exhibited outside his or her polling station a notice in English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil, substantially in the form set out in the Second Schedule, giving directions for the guidance of voters in voting.
(8)
The Minister may, by order in the Gazette, amend the Second Schedule.