Singapore legislation

Regulation 20

of Presidential Elections (Crisis Management) Regulations 2023

Regulation 20

Crisis management response if ballot box lost or destroyed after close of poll

Subregulation 1

The Returning Officer must carry out the crisis management response in paragraph (2) if one or more sealed ballot boxes containing votes cast at a polling station are lost or destroyed at any time —

(a)

after the close of the poll at the polling station; and

(b)

before the ballot box reaches the counting place specified in respect of the polling station.

Subregulation 2

The Returning Officer must —

(a)

wholly abandon the counting of all the votes cast at the affected polling station; and

(b)

restart the poll at the affected polling station if the Returning Officer is satisfied that the result of the election could be affected.

Subregulation 3

For the purposes of paragraph (2)(b) —

(a)

the result of the election could be affected if the number of potential votes is equal to or more than the number of votes given in Singapore to the candidates with the 2 greatest number of votes; and

(b)

the number of potential votes is taken to be the number of electors who could vote at —

(i)

the affected polling station;

(ii)

any other polling station to which paragraph (1) applies; or

(iii)

an overseas polling station.

Subregulation 4

If the poll at the affected polling station is restarted as part of the crisis management response in paragraph (2) —

(a)

the Returning Officer must specify the date, hours, and location for the restarted poll, and the specified date —

(i)

must fall within the time delimited by Article 17A(2) of the Constitution; and

(ii)

must not be later than the 56th day after the date of publication of the notice of contested election in the Gazette under section 16(5) of the Act;

(b)

the Returning Officer must postpone the counting of all overseas votes for the election and the pre‑count examination of postal ballot papers to a specified date, time and location in Singapore; and

(c)

if the polling station is in Singapore — the counting of votes cast at the restarted poll is to take place at a date, time and location in Singapore specified by the Returning Officer.

Read in full context — Presidential Elections (Crisis Management) Regulations 2023 →