Singaporeans flocked to the polls today, September 1, to choose their ninth President from a trio of distinguished candidates: Ng Kok Song, former GIC chief investment officer; Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the ex-senior minister; and Tan Kin Lian, the former NTUC Income chief executive. This 2023 Presidential Election marks the first contested race since 2011.
By midday, over 1.4 million Singaporeans, approximately 52% of all eligible voters, had already cast their votes across 1,264 polling stations throughout the island, as reported by the Elections Department Singapore (ELD).
Polling stations commenced operations at 8am, but eager voters had already begun queuing at several locations, notably at the Waterway Primary School in Punggol, where a significant line was observed even before the gates opened.
For a smoother voting experience, the public can gauge the crowd size at their designated polling stations through the VoteQ website. This can be done by entering their postal code or by accessing the VoteQ link on the ePoll card through the Singpass app or the QR code on their physical poll card.
Inside the polling booth, voters will notice a change: the traditional X-pen has been replaced by the X-stamp. However, they can still opt to use their personal pens to mark their choice. It’s crucial to mark within the designated box, as any markings outside won’t be counted. After marking, voters should fold the ballot paper and deposit it into the ballot box before exiting the station. Also learn about More than 6,500 Register as Overseas Voters for Singapore Presidential Election.
