PART 2 REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS
AND REVISION OF REGISTERS |
10.—(1) As soon as may be after the publication of any notification under section 8, the Registration Officer, with such assistance as the Registration Officer may require from the Commissioner of National Registration, must prepare for that year a separate register of electors for each electoral division and must enter in the register the names of all persons who are qualified as electors under section 5 and are not disqualified by any of the provisions of section 6.| (1A) The Minister may, before a general election, require the Registration Officer to bring up to date any register prepared under subsection (1) in such manner and by reference to such year as the Minister may direct. |
| (2) For the purpose of satisfying himself or herself as to the qualification of any elector, the Registration Officer may make such enquiry as he or she may consider necessary. |
| (3) On the completion of the register for any electoral division, the Registration Officer must give notice in the Gazette that the register is completed and that the register, or a copy of it, is open for inspection at all reasonable hours of the day at the office of the Registration Officer and at such other place or places in or near the electoral division and at such overseas registration centres as may be specified in the notice. |
| (4) The Registration Officer may, for the purpose of registering persons as overseas electors, establish such number of overseas registration centres as the Registration Officer considers practicable in any embassy, High Commission, diplomatic mission, permanent mission or consulate of Singapore situated in any country or any territory outside Singapore. |
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11.—(1) Any person who considers that he or she is entitled to have his or her name entered in a register of electors and whose name has been omitted from the register (called in this section the claimant) may apply to the Registration Officer to have his or her name entered in the register.| (2) Every claim under subsection (1) must be in writing and be in Form 3 in the First Schedule, and must reach the Registration Officer within 2 weeks from the date of publication in the Gazette of the notice of completion of the register. |
| (2A) Within 21 days from the expiry of the period of 2 weeks mentioned in subsection (2), the Registration Officer must exhibit notices containing the names and addresses of the claimants (if any) at the place or places in or near the electoral division in which those claimants reside and at the overseas registration centres specified in the notice mentioned in section 10(3). |
| (2B) A claim under subsection (1) may be made at an overseas registration centre and be accompanied by the claimant’s application to be registered as an overseas elector made in accordance with section 13A. |
| (3) Any person whose name appears in the register for any electoral division may object to the inclusion in the register of his or her own name or the name of any other person appearing in the register or may object to the insertion in the register of the name of any claimant. |
| (4) In this section and section 12, every person objecting to the inclusion or insertion of any name in the register is called the objector. |
| (5) Every objection to the inclusion of any name in the register must be made in writing and be in Form 4 in the First Schedule, and must reach the Registration Officer within 2 weeks from the date of publication in the Gazette of the notice of completion of the register. |
| (6) Every objection to the insertion of the name of any claimant in the register must be made in writing and be in Form 5 in the First Schedule, and must reach the Registration Officer within 6 days from the date on which the notice containing the names of claimants is exhibited under subsection (2A). |
| (7) [Deleted by Act 18 of 2005] |
| (8) Subject to subsection (9C), the Registration Officer must, as soon as practicable after receiving an objection to the inclusion or insertion of any name in any register, send a notice of the objection to the person in regard to whom objection has been made. [41/2018] |
| (8A) The notice of objection must be in Form 6 in the First Schedule. |
| (9) The Registration Officer must as soon as practicable hold a public inquiry into all claims and objections which have been duly made, giving not less than 6 clear days’ written notice of the date on which and the time and place at which the inquiry will commence to each claimant, objector and person in regard to whom objection has been made. |
| (9A) At any such public inquiry, any person appearing to the Registration Officer to be interested in or affected by the subject matter of the inquiry may appear and be heard either by himself or herself or by any other person duly authorised by him or her in writing in that behalf. |
(9B) Despite subsection (9), the Registration Officer may, without holding any public inquiry —| (a) | allow any claim in respect of which no objection is made if the Registration Officer is satisfied that the claim should be allowed, and insert the claimant’s name in the register and, where applicable, register the claimant as an overseas elector; or | | (b) | reject any claim if the Registration Officer is satisfied that —| (i) | the claimant was not a citizen of Singapore on the prescribed date mentioned in section 5(4); | | (ii) | the claimant was below 21 years of age on the prescribed date mentioned in section 5(4); [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] | | (iii) | where the claimant claims to be entitled to have the claimant’s name entered in the register for an electoral division on the ground of a change in the claimant’s residential address, the new address specified in the claimant’s claim is not the address of any premises in that electoral division; or [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] | | (iv) | the claim is frivolous or vexatious. [41/2018] [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] |
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| (9C) Subsections (8) and (10) do not apply to a claim rejected by the Registration Officer under subsection (9B)(b). [41/2018] |
| (10) Subject to subsection (9C), where an objection is made to the inclusion or insertion of any name in the register, the Registration Officer must call upon the objector, or some person authorised in writing in that behalf by the objector, to give prima facie proof of the ground of the objection unless the Registration Officer is satisfied that the objection is frivolous or vexatious, in which case the Registration Officer may overrule the objection without further inquiry into the objection. [41/2018] [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] |
(11) If such prima facie proof is given, the Registration Officer must require proof of the entitlement of the person in regard to whom objection has been made, and —| (a) | if the person’s entitlement is not proved to the Registration Officer’s satisfaction, the Registration Officer must expunge that person’s name from or (as the case may be) refuse to insert that person’s name in the register; or | | (b) | if the person’s entitlement is so proved, the Registration Officer must retain that person’s name or (as the case may be) insert that person’s name in the register and, where applicable, register that person as an overseas elector. |
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(12) If, on the date fixed for inquiry into any objection, the objector or a person authorised in writing in that behalf by the objector fails to appear, or appears but fails to give such prima facie proof, then —| (a) | if the objection is to the inclusion in the register of the name of a person appearing in the register, the Registration Officer must retain the person’s name in the register without calling upon the person to prove his or her entitlement; or | | (b) | if the objection is to the insertion in the register of the name of any claimant, the Registration Officer must require proof of the entitlement of the claimant; and —| (i) | if the claimant’s entitlement is not proved to the Registration Officer’s satisfaction, the Registration Officer must refuse to insert the claimant’s name in the register; or | | (ii) | if the claimant’s entitlement is so proved, the Registration Officer must insert the claimant’s name in the register and, where applicable, register the person as an overseas elector. |
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| (13) If an objection is made and is overruled by the Registration Officer and, in the Registration Officer’s opinion, the objection was made without reasonable cause, the Registration Officer may, if he or she thinks fit, order in writing the objector to pay to the person in regard to whom objection has been made such sum not exceeding $50 as the Registration Officer considers reasonable compensation for any loss of time incurred by the person in consequence of the objection. |
| (14) If, upon an objection being overruled, the objector appeals under section 12 to the Revising Officer and the appeal is dismissed, and in the opinion of the Revising Officer the appeal was made without reasonable cause, the Revising Officer may, if he or she thinks fit, order in writing the objector to pay to the person in regard to whom objection has been made such sum not exceeding $50 as the Revising Officer considers reasonable compensation for any loss of time incurred by the person in consequence of the appeal. |
| (14A) If any appeal is allowed by the Revising Officer, he or she has power to revise or cancel any order made by the Registration Officer for the payment of compensation by the objector. |
| (15) Any sum awarded as compensation under this section is recoverable as though the order of the Registration Officer or Revising Officer were an order of a District Court for the recovery of money by that Officer. |
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| Appeals to Revising Officer |
12.—(1) For the purpose of hearing appeals against any decision of the Registration Officer, the Minister may appoint such Revising Officers as the Minister thinks fit.| (2) If any claimant, objector or person in regard to whom objection has been made is dissatisfied with the decision of the Registration Officer, he or she may, within 10 days from the date of the decision, appeal to the Revising Officer. |
| (3) Every appeal under this section must be in writing and must state shortly the ground of appeal. |
| (4) The Revising Officer must hear such appeals in public giving notice of the dates of the hearing of the appeal to the parties concerned. |
| (4A) It is at the discretion of the Revising Officer whether or not to hear any evidence. |
| (4B) The Revising Officer’s determination of the appeal is final and conclusive and is not to be called in question in any court. |
| (5) When the Revising Officer has determined the appeals which have been lodged with respect to any register, the Revising Officer must forward to the Registration Officer a statement under the hand of the Revising Officer containing the names which the Revising Officer has decided must be included or inserted in the register and those which the Revising Officer has decided must be expunged from the register, and the Registration Officer must amend the register accordingly. |
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| Certification of registers |
13.—(1) The Registration Officer must, as soon as conveniently may be after the claims and objections have been adjudicated upon, certify the register of electors for each electoral division in Form 7 in the First Schedule.| (1A) The Registration Officer may certify any register in accordance with this section during the pendency of any appeal under section 12 but after the appeal, must insert in or expunge from the certified register the name of any person in accordance with the decision of the Revising Officer on the determination of the appeal. |
| (2) Nothing in this Act is deemed to prohibit the Registration Officer from correcting any clerical or other error in a register within 7 days after certifying the register. |
| (2A) Any correction of a register under subsection (2) does not affect the entitlement of any person to have his or her name included or retained in the register. |
| (3) Despite subsections (1), (1A) and (2), the Registration Officer must, on being informed by the Registrar of Citizens that any person has ceased to be a citizen of Singapore under the provisions of the Constitution, or on being informed by the Registrar‑General of Births and Deaths that any person is dead, expunge the name of the person from any register of electors. |
| (4) Despite anything to the contrary in this Act, the Registration Officer may, at any time after certifying any register of electors for any electoral division, except between the issue of a writ of election under section 24 and polling day appointed for election in that division, remove from the register the name of any person where the Registration Officer has reason to believe that the address of that person as shown in the register has ceased to exist or to be used as his or her place of residence or his or her contact address. |
| (4A) Where the person whose name has been removed under subsection (4) has notified the Commissioner of National Registration in writing of his or her change of address or contact address at the time of the removal of his or her name, the Registration Officer must transfer the name of that person to the appropriate register. |
| (5) The Registration Officer must not remove or transfer any name under subsection (4) or (4A) unless at least 2 weeks before making the removal or transfer, a notice has been given in the Gazette that the Registration Officer proposes to make the removal or transfer and that a list of the names of persons affected is available for inspection at such time and place or places as may be specified in the notice. |
| (5A) A notice for the purpose of subsection (5) may contain such particulars as the Registration Officer thinks sufficient and appropriate without specifying the names of persons who will be affected by the proposed removal or transfer. |
(6) Subject to subsection (7), the Registration Officer has power where any name from any register has been removed by the Registration Officer under subsection (4) —| (a) | to restore the name to the register if the removal has been made by mistake or through inadvertence; or | | (b) | to enter the name in the appropriate register on the application of the person whose name has been removed and has not been transferred to the appropriate register at the time of the removal. |
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| (7) Where a writ of election has been issued under section 24 for an election in any electoral division, the Registration Officer must not enter any name in the register of that division under subsection (6)(b) until after nomination day or, if a poll is to be taken, until after polling day. |
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| Registration as overseas elector |
| 13A.—(1) Any person who is not resident in Singapore but whose name is entered in the register of electors for an electoral division and who is entitled to have his or her name so entered or retained in that register of electors may, at any time and in such form or manner as may be prescribed, apply to the Registration Officer to be registered as an overseas elector. [6/2017] [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] (1A) A person who is registered as an overseas elector for an electoral division may record his or her vote at a poll in a presidential election, or in an election in that electoral division, according to paragraph (a) or (b) as follows, but not both in respect of the same presidential election or same election:| (a) | by attending in person at a polling place in an ordinary polling station allotted to him or her under section 36A(1)(c); | | (b) | by either —| (i) | the postal voting method prescribed under this Act but only if he or she is designated a postal voter; or | | (ii) | in an overseas polling station allotted to him or her, but not if he or she is designated a postal voter, |
| but not both in respect of the same presidential election or same election. |
[Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] |
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| (1B) However, a person is not entitled to be an overseas elector for an electoral division in any year if he or she has not resided in Singapore for an aggregate of 30 days during the period of 3 years immediately preceding the date the person applies under subsection (1) to the Registration Officer to be registered as an overseas elector. [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] |
(2) An application under subsection (1) by any person to be registered as an overseas elector must contain or be accompanied by —| (a) | satisfactory proof of his or her identity; | | (b) | particulars of his or her current mailing address outside Singapore; | | (c) | a declaration that he or she is a citizen of Singapore and is not less than 21 years of age; | | (ca) | a declaration that he or she —| (i) | has not acquired or applied to acquire by registration, naturalisation or other voluntary and formal act (other than marriage) the citizenship of any country outside Singapore; | | (ii) | has not voluntarily claimed and exercised any rights (other than any rights in connection with the use of a passport) available to him or her under the law of any country outside Singapore being rights accorded exclusively to the citizens or nationals of that country; | | (iii) | has not taken any oath or made any declaration or acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to any foreign power or state; and | | (iv) | has not applied to the authorities of a place outside Singapore for the issue or renewal of a passport or used a passport issued by such authorities as a travel document; |
| | (d) | a statement specifying his or her option either —| (i) | to record his or her vote at a poll in a presidential election and an election by attending in person at an overseas polling station specified in the statement; or | | (ii) | to record his or her vote at a poll in a presidential election and an election by the postal voting method prescribed under this Act; and [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] |
| | (e) | any other information as the Registration Officer considers necessary to determine whether the person —| (i) | is disqualified to have his or her name entered or retained in a register of electors; and | | (ii) | is disqualified by subsection (1B) to be an overseas elector. [6/2017] [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] |
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(3) An overseas elector may, at any time and in such form or manner as may be prescribed, apply to the Registration Officer —| (a) | to change the overseas polling station allotted to him or her under subsection (3A)(a)(i); [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] | | (aa) | to change his or her option in subsection (2)(d)(i) to subsection (2)(d)(ii), and vice versa; or [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] | | (b) | to cancel his or her registration. [6/2017] |
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(3A) Despite section 13, the Registration Officer may —| (a) | in the case of an application made under subsection (1), register the applicant as an overseas elector and, in accordance with the applicant’s option under subsection (2)(d), either —| (i) | allot to the applicant an overseas polling station specified by the applicant in his or her option; or | | (ii) | designate the applicant as a postal voter, |
| unless the applicant is disqualified by subsection (1B) to be an overseas elector; |
[Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] | | (b) | in the case of an application made under subsection (3)(a), allot to the applicant another overseas polling station; | | (ba) | in the case of an application made under subsection (3)(aa) to change his or her option, do one of the following in accordance with the applicant’s application:| (i) | allot to the applicant an overseas polling station specified by the applicant in his or her application; | | (ii) | designate the applicant as a postal voter; [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] |
| | (c) | in the case of an application made under subsection (3)(b), cancel the applicant’s registration as an overseas elector; or | | (d) | reject any application made under subsection (1) or (3). [6/2017] |
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| (3AA) If the Registration Officer receives an application under subsection (1) or (3) during the specified period of an election, the Registration Officer is not required to take any action on the application under subsection (3A) until after that specified period. [6/2017] |
| (3B) Only one overseas polling station may be allotted to a person who is registered as an overseas elector. |
(4) Any person —| (a) | whose name is entered in the certified register of electors in operation for an electoral division; | | (b) | who is entitled to have his or her name so entered or retained in that register of electors; and | | (c) | who is registered as an overseas elector, |
| must be treated as registered as an overseas elector for that electoral division. |
[Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] |
(4A) The registration of any person under this section as an overseas elector continues in operation until the happening of any of the following events, whichever first occurs:| (a) | the person applies to cancel the person’s registration as an overseas elector and the Registration Officer cancels accordingly; | | (b) | the person’s name is —| (i) | expunged or removed from any register of electors under section 13(3) or (4), or under section 13(3) or (4) read with section 17(2) when revising any register of electors; | | (ii) | expunged from any register of electors under section 14(5); or | | (iii) | expunged from any register of electors under section 43(5) or under section 26(5) of the Presidential Elections Act 1991; |
| | (c) | when the registers of electors prepared under section 10(1) or (1A) are certified and the person’s name is not entered in or is omitted from every register of electors so prepared; | | (d) | when the registers of electors revised under section 14 are certified and the person’s name is not entered or retained in or is omitted from every register of electors so revised; | | (e) | when the registers of electors are prepared under section 10(1) or (1A) or revised under section 14 for any year, the Registration Officer cancels the person’s registration as an overseas elector upon the Registration Officer, after proper inquiry, satisfying himself or herself that the person has not resided in Singapore for an aggregate of 30 days during the period of 3 years immediately preceding the prescribed date of that year. [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] |
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| (4B) Where a person’s registration as an overseas elector is cancelled by the Registration Officer under subsection (4A)(e), the Registration Officer has power to restore the person’s registration upon an application by the person to the Registration Officer for a reconsideration of the cancellation. [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] |
(4C) To avoid doubt, the registration of any person under this section as an overseas elector for an electoral division does not end or become cancelled just because a certified register of electors for the electoral division is superseded by the coming into operation of —| (a) | the next certified register relating to the same or any area within that electoral division following a notification under section 8 specifying the boundaries of electoral divisions; or | | (b) | the composite register deemed the next certified register relating to the same or any area within that electoral division, following the creation of any new electoral division or altering of any electoral division in the manner mentioned in section 20A(1)(a) or (b). [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] |
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(5) For the purposes of subsection (2)(ca)(ii), the exercise of a vote in —| (a) | any national, state or provincial election; or | | (b) | any election for the local government of any metropolitan or urban area, |
| in a country outside Singapore (but not an election under this Act or a presidential election) is deemed to be the voluntary claim and exercise of a right available under the law of that country. |
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(6) In this section, “specified period” means —| (a) | in the case of an election for an electoral division under this Act — the period starting on the third day (including a Sunday or public holiday) after the issue of the writ of election under section 24 for that election and ending on the nomination day for that election or, if a poll is to be taken, the polling day (or if there is more than one polling day, the last polling day) for that election; and | | (b) | in the case of an election under the Presidential Elections Act 1991 — the period starting on the third day (including a Sunday or public holiday) after the issue of the writ of election under section 6 of that Act and ending on the nomination day or, if a poll is to be taken, the polling day (or if there is more than one polling day, the last polling day) under that Act for that election. [6/2017] |
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14.—(1) The Minister may from time to time, but in any case not later than 3 years after the last general election, require the Registration Officer to revise the registers of electors and complete the revision before such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.| (2) For the purpose of revising a register and of satisfying himself or herself as to the entitlement of any person to registration or determining whether the name of any person should be inserted or retained in, or expunged from, the register, the Registration Officer may make such inquiry as the Registration Officer considers necessary either by himself or herself or through a person appointed by him or her. |
| (2A) Any notice requiring information for the purposes of subsection (2) may be sent by ordinary post to the person from whom the information is required or may be delivered to him or her or to an adult member of his or her household. |
| (3) All officers in the service of the Government (other than officers of any Government department who are prohibited by law from furnishing information) and all local authorities are authorised and required to furnish to the Registration Officer, or any person appointed by the Registration Officer for the purpose, all the information that he or she may require to enable him or her to revise the register. |
| (4) Every person who, being in possession of any information required under subsection (2A), fails to give the information to the Registration Officer or to any person appointed by the Registration Officer for the purpose, or wilfully gives any false information, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both. |
| (5) Without affecting subsection (4), if any person being a registered elector fails to give such information with regard to his or her entitlement to registration to the Registration Officer, or to any person appointed by the Registration Officer for the purpose, within 14 days after the service upon him or her by the Registration Officer of a notice under subsection (2A), his or her name must immediately be expunged from the register by the Registration Officer and he or she is not entitled to have his or her name retained or inserted in the register for the ensuing year. |
| (6) Every person who is appointed by the Registration Officer and who wilfully suppresses any information relating to the entitlement of any person for registration or relevant for determining whether the name of any person should or should not be retained or inserted in a register, after such information has been furnished to or collected by him or her, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 9 months or to both. |
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| Method of revising register |
15.—(1) In revising a register of electors, the Registration Officer must enter the names of all persons who are qualified as electors under section 5 and are not disqualified by any of the provisions of section 6.| (2) Upon the completion of the revised register of electors referred to in subsection (1), the Registration Officer must give notice in the Gazette that the register of electors has been completed and that the register, or a copy of the register, is open for inspection at all reasonable hours of the day at the office of the Registration Officer and at such other place or places in or near the electoral division and at such overseas registration centres as may be specified in the notice. [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] |
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| Claims and objections at revision of register |
| 16. Sections 11 and 12 apply to a revision of a register of electors as they apply to the preparation of the register. |
| Application of section 13 to revised register |
17.—(1) Section 13(1) and (1A) shall apply to the certification of a revised register of electors as they apply to the certification of a register of electors.| (2) Section 13(2) to (7) shall apply to a revised register of electors as they apply to a register of electors. |
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18.—(1) Subject to section 14, any notice required to be given by the Registration Officer or a Revising Officer is sufficiently given if sent by registered post to the address (if any) given in the claim or objection, or in default of that address, to the address given in the register of electors.| (2) The Registration Officer or a Revising Officer may adjourn any proceedings before him or her under this Act to any convenient time and place. |
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| Persons residing in building located on common boundary |
19.—(1) In preparing or revising a register of electors, the Registration Officer may, in his or her discretion, enter the name of any person in the register of electors for such electoral division as the Registration Officer considers appropriate if that person is residing in a building which is located on a common boundary between 2 or more electoral divisions.| (2) The decision of the Registration Officer under subsection (1) is final and conclusive and is not to be called in question in any court. |
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| Notice of certification of register and commencement and period of operation |
| 20.—(1) On the certification of a register under this Act, the Registration Officer must give notice in the Gazette that the register has been certified and that the register, or a copy of it, is open for inspection according to subsection (1A). [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] (1A) It is the duty of the Registration Officer to make open for inspection every certified register of electors at all reasonable hours of the day —| (a) | at the office of the Registration Officer; | | (b) | at any other place or places in or near the electoral division to which the register relates and specified in the notice required by subsection (1); and | | (c) | at the overseas registration centres specified in the notice required by subsection (1). [Act 8 of 2023 wef 01/06/2023] |
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(2) The certified register —| (a) | in the case of a register prepared under section 10(1) or (1A) — comes into operation at the next general election and not earlier; and | | (b) | in the case of a revised register — comes into operation on the date of publication of the notice of the certification of the register in the Gazette. |
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| (2A) Subject to such alterations as may subsequently be made in the register in accordance with section 13, 17 or 43, or with section 26 of the Presidential Elections Act 1991, the register continues in operation until superseded by the coming into operation of the next certified register. |
| (3) Where a new electoral division is created under section 8 by the amalgamation of the whole of 2 or more existing electoral divisions, or where there is no change in the boundary of any electoral division specified in a notification under section 8(1), section 10 does not apply to that electoral division unless the Minister otherwise directs; and the certified registers of electors in operation for those existing electoral divisions which have been amalgamated to form any new electoral division are deemed to be the register of electors in operation for that new electoral division at the next general election. |
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| Redistribution of polling districts, etc. |
20A.—(1) Where any new electoral division is created or the boundaries of any existing electoral division are altered by —| (a) | redistributing the whole of one or more contiguous polling districts of any existing electoral division or divisions to form a polling district or districts of the new or altered electoral division without any change in the boundaries of those polling districts; or | | (b) | transferring the whole of one or more contiguous polling districts of any existing electoral division or divisions to any other existing division or divisions without any change in the boundaries of those polling districts, |
| the Minister may, in lieu of specifying the boundaries of the electoral divisions in a notification under section 8, specify — |
| (c) | the polling districts which have been retained, redistributed or transferred to form subdivisions of the respective electoral divisions; and | | (d) | the new distinguishing letter or letters (if any) assigned to each such polling district, |
| and each electoral division is deemed to have been subdivided under section 9(1) into the polling districts so retained, redistributed or transferred as its subdivisions. |
| (2) Unless the Minister otherwise directs, whenever any new electoral division is created or any electoral division is altered in the manner mentioned in subsection (1)(a) or (b), section 10 does not apply to that new or altered electoral division and the Registration Officer must, before the next general election, prepare in accordance with subsection (3) a composite register for each new or altered division and certify it in Form 7 in the First Schedule. |
| (3) A composite register for any new or altered electoral division must be prepared by using the certified registers in operation and combining the sections of those certified registers relating to the polling districts which have been redistributed or transferred to form the polling districts of the new or altered electoral division. |
(4) Any composite register prepared in accordance with subsection (3) for a new or altered electoral division —| (a) | is deemed to be the certified register in operation for that electoral division at the next general election following its certification but not earlier; and | | (b) | subject to such alterations as may be made in the register in accordance with section 13, 17 or 43 or with section 26 of the Presidential Elections Act 1991, continues in operation until superseded by the coming into operation of the next certified register for that electoral division. |
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| Penalty for false statements and wrongful claims |
21.—(1) Every person who wilfully makes a false statement or declaration in any claim or objection, or at any inquiry or in any appeal in connection with the claim or objection, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.| (2) The Registration Officer or a Revising Officer may, on the consideration or hearing of any claim, objection or appeal, require that the evidence tendered by any person be given on oath and may administer the oath for that purpose. |
| (3) Every person who in the course of that consideration or hearing knowingly swears anything material to the validity of the claim, objection or appeal which is false shall be guilty of the offence of giving false evidence and shall be liable on conviction to the punishment provided therefor in the Penal Code 1871. |
(4) Any person who, in making any application under section 13A(1) to be registered as an overseas elector for an electoral division, or any application under section 13A(3A)(b) to change the overseas polling station allotted to him or her to another overseas polling station —| (a) | makes, in or outside Singapore, in any declaration under section 13A(2) any statement which is false, and which he or she knows or has reason to believe is false or does not believe to be true; | | (b) | furnishes, in or outside Singapore, any document which he or she knows or has reason to believe is false or does not believe to be true; or | | (c) | by the intentional suppression of any material fact, furnishes, in or outside Singapore, information which is misleading, |
| shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both. |
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| Use of registers of electors |
21A.—(1) Any candidate or his or her election agent who, or any political party which, on payment of any fee, acquires from the Registration Officer any copy (whether in printed or electronic form) of any register of electors —| (a) | must use any information recorded in the register only for communicating with electors; | | (b) | must not use any information recorded in the register for commercial purposes; and | | (c) | may disclose any information recorded in the register to others only after obtaining their written acknowledgment that they are bound by the restrictions in this subsection. |
| (2) Subject to subsection (3), a person who obtains any information recorded in any register of electors must not reproduce, store or transmit any part of the information by electronic or any other means for any purpose. |
(3) Subsection (2) does not apply to —| (a) | a candidate or his or her election agent who, or any political party which, on payment of any fee, acquires a copy of a register of electors from the Registration Officer; or | | (b) | a person who obtains information in any register of electors from a candidate, an election agent or a political party after giving a written acknowledgment described in subsection (1)(c). |
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| (4) Any person who knowingly contravenes subsection (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 9 months or to both. |
| (5) In this section, “candidate” includes a candidate at any presidential election. |
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