Overseas Singaporeans can apply to vote by post in upcoming General Elections: Here's how to do so

Singapore citizens who are residing abroad may apply to be registered as an overseas elector to vote by post or at one of the 10 overseas polling stations if they satisfy the qualifying criteria.

Overseas Singaporeans, fret not! 

Eligible overseas Singaporeans may apply to cast their vote for the upcoming General Elections by post. 

Introduced by the Singapore Elections Department (ELD), the initiative aims to create a more hassle-free way for Singaporeans residing abroad to vote. 

Here are some of the commonly asked questions to the above: 

Who can vote overseas?

Any Singapore citizen who is residing overseas may apply to be registered as an overseas elector if they satisfy the following qualifying criteria:

• is a citizen of Singapore (holder of pink NRIC);
• is not less than 21 years of age;
• is not disqualified from being an elector under any prevailing law;

• (i) has a Singapore residential address on his NRIC; or
  (ii) if he/she is residing overseas, and has changed their NRIC address to an overseas address, the voter must have a contact address in Singapore that he/she has registered with the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), also known as a Local Contact Address (LCA); and

• has resided in Singapore for an aggregate of at least 30 days within the three-year period prior to the date of application to be registered as an overseas elector.

How can I register as an overseas elector?

Singapore citizens who are residing abroad may apply to be registered as an overseas elector to vote by post or at one of the 10 overseas polling stations if they satisfy the qualifying criteria.

Application for registration as an overseas elector is open all-year round.

However, in accordance with the law, applications will not be processed during the period from the third day after the Writ for an election is issued until the Polling Day for the election.

Overseas Singaporeans who are successful in their applications will receive an official notification from the ELD confirming their status of either: 

1. Postal voter if they have opted to vote by post; or
2. Informing the location of their allotted overseas polling station if they have opted to vote in person at one of the overseas polling stations during registration.

Application for registration as an overseas elector can be made online via Voter Services using Singpass.

Once registered, an elector’s status as an overseas elector will remain valid if he:

1. meets the residency requirement of having resided in Singapore for an aggregate of at least 30 days within the three-year period prior to the cut-off date (the prescribed date) of the newly revised registers; and
2. votes at contested elections

An elector’s overseas elector status will become invalid when he/she:

1. applies to cancel his overseas elector registration, if he has returned to Singapore permanently and no longer require overseas voting facility; or
2. fails to vote in a contested election.

For more information on voter services, please visit: ELD | Voter Services

Can non-voters register as overseas electors? 

Non-voters with local NRIC address

If a person did not vote at a contested election previously, his/her name would have been removed from the Register of Electors. Such a person is known as a non-voter. Non-voters are encouraged to apply to restore their names to the Registers of Electors early, and restoration will be based on their latest NRIC address or LCA.

If the non-voter is an overseas Singaporean and wishes to vote by post or at one of the overseas polling stations, they must first apply to restore their name to the Register of Electors.

They can do so online via Voter Services using Singpass. Once the name is restored, they may apply to be registered as an overseas elector.

Non-voters with overseas NRIC address

If a non-voter wishes to vote overseas and has changed his NRIC address to his/her overseas address, he/she must first register an LCA and apply for his/her name to be restored to the Register of Electors.

The application for restoration can only be processed after his LCA has been registered with Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

Once his/her name is restored, he/she may apply to be registered as an overseas elector.

To apply for an LCA using Singpass, please visit: Apply LCA

How can I find my local contact address (LCA)?

The LCA must either be:

1. the address of any residential property in Singapore that the person owns an estate or interest in; or
2. the residential address in Singapore of:

(i) his/her spouse, grandparent, parent, sibling, child, grandchild;

(ii) any grandparent, parent or sibling of his/her spouse;

(iii) any sibling of any of his/her parents or his spouse’s parents; or

(iv) any child of any of his/her siblings or his spouse’s siblings.

How can I cast my vote via post? 

Any Singapore citizen residing overseas who satisfies the following qualifying criteria may apply to the ELD to be registered as an overseas elector to cast his vote by post.

In addition, the person will also be allotted a polling station in Singapore during an election, where he can go to cast his vote if he is back in Singapore on Polling Day.

Every overseas elector is allowed to vote only once during an election either by post or at the local polling station that has been allotted to him. Any overseas elector who goes to vote at the local polling station allotted to him will be required to make a declaration that they had not voted in the same election before they can be issued with a ballot paper.

Visit the Voter Services using Singpass to check your voting eligibility & apply to be registered as overseas elector, and to vote by post.

Where are the overseas polling stations located? 

Here is a list of overseas polling stations cum overseas registration centres:

What is the process of voting overseas at the polling stations? 

Any Singapore citizen residing overseas who satisfies the qualifying criteria may apply to the Elections Department to be registered as an overseas elector to cast his/her vote at one of the 10 overseas polling stations.

Besides the overseas polling station that is allotted to him/her, the person will also be allotted a polling station in Singapore during an election, where he/she can go to cast his/her vote if he is back in Singapore on Polling Day.

The overseas polling stations are located within 10 designated Singapore Overseas Missions in countries/cities with significant number of Singaporeans.

During an election, the date and hours of the overseas polls will be published in the Singapore Government Gazette and announced through the Singapore media, as well as the websites of the ELD and Overseas Missions that serve as overseas polling stations.

Every overseas elector is allowed to vote only once during an election either at the overseas polling station or local polling station that has been allotted to them.

Any overseas elector who goes to vote at the local polling station allotted to them will be required to make a declaration that they had not voted in the same election before they can be issued with a ballot paper.

---

READ MORE: FAQs on Singapore's upcoming guidelines on flexible work arrangement requests

Lead image / Elections Department Singapore