Parliamentary Elections Act 1954 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 3 · Elections
61F. Online election advertising, etc., in campaign period
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2023.
This section applies only to election advertising that is —
election advertising
“election advertising” means any poster, banner, notice, circular, handbill, illustration, article, advertisement or other material that can reasonably be regarded as intended —(a)to promote or procure the electoral success at any election for one or more identifiable political parties, candidates or groups of candidates; or(b)to otherwise enhance the standing of any such political parties, candidates or groups of candidates with the electorate in connection with any election,and such material is election advertising even though it can reasonably be regarded as intended to achieve any other purpose as well and even though it does not expressly mention the name of any political party or candidate, but excludes any button, badge, pen, pencil, balloon and any other thing prescribed by the Minister by notification in the Gazette;
online election advertising published in Singapore; or
non-online election advertising published in Singapore by electronic means.
A person commits an offence if —
the person publishes or causes to be published in Singapore, any content, or any thing containing content, at any time during the campaign period of an election in an electoral division;
the person is, or is doing so on behalf of —
an individual who is a candidate at the election in the electoral division; or
a political party with one or more candidates at the election in the electoral division;
the content is or includes election advertising that relates to the election in the electoral division; and
the content is or includes —
election advertising which the candidate or the candidate’s election agent or the political party did not declare to the Returning Officer in accordance with the requirements of subsection (3); or
election advertising that —
has a functionality prescribed in the election advertising regulations as impermissible for that form of election advertising; or
does not have a functionality prescribed in the election advertising regulations as requisite for that election advertising.
For the purposes of subsection (2)(d)(i), any election advertising to which subsection (1) applies must be declared by a candidate or the candidate’s election agent or a political party to the Returning Officer, in accordance with the procedure prescribed in the election advertising regulations, and accompanied by such details about it as may be prescribed (such as the online location or service used), at the following times:
election
“election” means an election for the purpose of electing a Member of Parliament;
no later than 12 hours after the start of the campaign period concerned, if the election advertising is published in Singapore within 12 hours after the start of the campaign period;
before the election advertising is published, if the election advertising is first published in Singapore after the start of that period unless otherwise allowed under paragraph (a).
In proceedings for an offence under subsection (2), it is not necessary for the prosecution to prove that an accused knew or had reason to believe that the content published is or includes election advertising as described in subsection (2)(c).
Any person who is guilty of an offence under subsection (2) shall be liable on conviction by a District Court to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
Subsection (2) does not apply to or in relation to any publishing in Singapore, at any time during the campaign period of an election in an electoral division, of election advertising in any circumstances that are prescribed by the election advertising regulations as excluded from that subsection.
electoral division
“electoral division” means an electoral division specified in the notification for the time being in force under section 8;