18. The principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 56, the following heading and sections:“POSTPONEMENT AND ADJOURNMENT OF ELECTIONS |
Postponement of nomination day, etc. |
56A.—(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, at any time before the day of nomination appointed for any election in any electoral division, the President may postpone the date for the nomination of candidates to another day, or change the place of nomination, because of —(a) | riot or open violence; | (b) | the threat of riot or open violence; | (c) | storm, tempest, flood or an occurrence of a similar kind; | (d) | a health hazard; | (e) | a fire or the activation of fire safety equipment (such as sprinklers or alarms); or | (f) | any other reason related to the safety of assistants, clerks, candidates and other persons authorised under section 29 to be present at the place of nomination, or to difficulties in the physical conduct of nomination proceedings. |
(2) Any postponement of the date for the nomination of candidates to another day, or any change in the place of nomination, under subsection (1) shall be —(a) | by notice published in the Gazette describing the postponement of the day of nomination or the change in the place of nomination, as the case may be; or | (b) | if publication under paragraph (a) is not practicable, by notice published in such manner as will secure adequate publicity in the electoral division for which the election is to be held describing the postponement of the day of nomination or the change in the place of nomination, as the case may be, |
and any postponement or change so made shall be valid and sufficient and any date or place provided for in lieu of a date or place fixed by the writ shall be deemed to be the day of nomination or place of nomination so fixed, as the case may be. |
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Change in hours for nomination of candidates, etc. |
56B.—(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act but subject to subsection (3), at any time before the day of nomination appointed for any election in any electoral division, the Returning Officer may change the hours for nomination proceedings to another time, because of —(a) | riot or open violence; | (b) | the threat of riot or open violence; | (c) | storm, tempest, flood or an occurrence of a similar kind; | (d) | a health hazard; | (e) | a fire or the activation of fire safety equipment (such as sprinklers or alarms); or | (f) | any other reason related to the safety of assistants, clerks, candidates and other persons authorised under section 29 to be present at the place of nomination, or to difficulties in the physical conduct of nomination proceedings. |
(2) Any change in the hours for nomination proceedings to another time under subsection (1) shall be —(a) | by notice published in the Gazette describing the change in the hours for nomination proceedings; or | (b) | if publication under paragraph (a) is not practicable, by notice published in such manner as will secure adequate publicity in the electoral division for which the election is to be held describing the change in the hours for nomination proceedings, |
and any change so made shall be valid and sufficient. |
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(3) In changing the hours for nomination proceedings under subsection (1), the Returning Officer may specify such other times in the day but —(a) | shall specify a period of one hour for the Returning Officer to receive nomination papers; | (b) | shall specify a period of 90 minutes for the making of objections to any nomination paper; | (c) | shall specify the latest time by which a candidate must make his deposit for the purposes of section 28, may correct errors in the nomination papers and may withdraw his candidature; and | (d) | shall specify the time by which the nomination of a candidate who is the subject of multiple nominations described in section 32A shall be void. |
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(4) Any changes in time under subsection (1) in lieu of the hours fixed by the notice of the issue of the writ under section 25 for an election in an electoral division shall be deemed to be the hours for nomination proceedings so fixed, and sections 27, 27A, 27B, 28, 29, 29A, 30, 32, 32A and 33 shall apply with such modifications as are necessary. |
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Adjournment, etc., of polling |
56C.—(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, if at any time before the polling day appointed in respect of an election in an electoral division, it appears to the Returning Officer that, in relation to the electoral division, the polling at all polling stations established for the purposes of the poll in the electoral division is likely to be obstructed, disrupted, undermined or seriously affected because of —(a) | riot or open violence; | (b) | the threat of riot or open violence; | (c) | storm, tempest, flood or an occurrence of a similar kind; | (d) | a health hazard; | (e) | a fire or the activation of fire safety equipment (such as sprinklers or alarms); or | (f) | any other reason related to the safety of presiding officers, clerks, interpreters, polling agents or voters within the polling station, or to difficulties in the physical conduct of voting, |
which has arisen or is likely to arise before or during the polling at all of those polling stations, the Returning Officer may postpone the polling day for that election to another day, except that the postponed poll for an election that is a general election must be within 3 months after the dissolution of Parliament. |
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, if at any time before or during the conduct of polling in respect of an election in an electoral division, it appears to the Returning Officer that, in relation to the electoral division, the polling at any polling station established for the purposes of the poll in the electoral division is likely to be obstructed, disrupted, undermined or seriously affected because of —(a) | riot or open violence; | (b) | the threat of riot or open violence; | (c) | storm, tempest, flood or an occurrence of a similar kind; | (d) | a health hazard; | (e) | a fire or the activation of fire safety equipment (such as sprinklers or alarms); or | (f) | any other reason related to the safety of presiding officers, clerks, interpreters, polling agents or voters within the polling station, or to difficulties in the physical conduct of voting, |
which has arisen or is likely to arise before or during the polling at that polling station, the Returning Officer may, subject to subsection (3), do one of the following: |
(i) | temporarily suspend the polling at that polling station for a period not exceeding 2 hours, with or without changing the location of that polling station; | (ii) | adjourn and postpone the polling at that polling station to another day, with or without changing the location of that polling station; | (iii) | wholly abandon and re-start the polling at that polling station on another day, with or without changing the location of that polling station; | (iv) | terminate the polling at that polling station early; or | (v) | in the case of polling at an overseas polling station, abandon the poll at the polling station if he is satisfied that polling thereat cannot start or be resumed or completed. |
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(3) Any poll at an overseas polling station, if resumed or held in place of a postponed poll thereat, must close not later than the close of the poll on polling day in Singapore, and any poll held in place of a postponed poll at any polling station for an election that is part of a general election must be held within 3 months after the dissolution of Parliament. |
(4) In exercising any power under subsection (1) or (2), the Returning Officer shall —(a) | by notification published in the Gazette declare the temporary suspension, adjournment, postponement, abandonment, re-start, or early termination (as the case may be) of polling at the polling station concerned and, where applicable, specify the date and time on and at which polling at that polling station is to resume, re-start or be held in place of the suspended, adjourned, postponed or abandoned poll, as the case may be; or | (b) | if publication under paragraph (a) is not practicable, by notice published in such manner as will secure adequate publicity in the electoral division for which the election is to be held for the temporary suspension, adjournment, postponement, abandonment, re-start or early termination (as the case may be) of the polling and, where applicable, the date and time on and at which polling at that polling station is to resume, re-start or be held in place of the suspended, adjourned, postponed or abandoned poll, as the case may be, |
and any postponement, resumption, re-start or other change so made shall be valid and sufficient and any date or place provided for in lieu of a date or place fixed by the notice of contested election shall be deemed to be the polling day or polling place so fixed, as the case may be. |
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(5) If, in exercising any power under subsection (2), the Returning Officer changes the location of any polling station, the notice given under subsection (4) shall also contain the address of the re-located polling station. |
(6) Any temporary suspension, adjournment, postponement, abandonment, re-start, or early termination, as the case may be, of polling at a polling station pursuant to the exercise of any power under subsection (1) or (2) shall be carried out in the prescribed manner. |
(7) Nothing in this section shall restrict the exercise of any power under section 50C(3). |
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Voting at adjourned polling |
56D. Where for any reason the polling at any polling station established for the purposes of the poll in any electoral division is so suspended or postponed under section 50C(3) or 56C, only those electors —(a) | who are registered electors for that electoral division for which the polling station is established; | (b) | who are entitled to vote as electors for that electoral division at that polling station; and | (c) | who have not already voted, |
shall be entitled to vote on the date and time on and at which polling at that polling station is to resume or to be held in place of the postponed poll, as the case may be. |
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Adjournment, etc., of counting |
56E.—(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, if at any time before or during the counting of votes in respect of an election in an electoral division, it appears to the Returning Officer that, in relation to the electoral division, the counting of votes at any counting place for the electoral division is likely to be obstructed, disrupted, undermined or seriously affected because of —(a) | riot or open violence; | (b) | the threat of riot or open violence; | (c) | storm, tempest, flood or an occurrence of a similar kind; | (d) | a health hazard; | (e) | a fire or the activation of fire safety equipment (such as sprinklers or alarms); or | (f) | any other reason related to the safety of assistants, clerks counting the votes and candidates or their counting agents present in the counting place, or to difficulties in the physical conduct of counting, |
which has arisen or is likely to arise before or during the counting of votes at that counting place, the Returning Officer may — |
(i) | temporarily suspend the counting at that counting place for a period not exceeding 2 hours, with or without changing the location of that counting place; | (ii) | adjourn and postpone the counting at that counting place to another day, with or without changing the location of that counting place; | (iii) | wholly abandon the counting of votes at that counting place if he is satisfied that counting thereat cannot be resumed or completed and that the number of votes to be counted will not affect the result of the election, and in the case of an abandoned recount of votes at that counting place, declare the election results using the results of the first count; or | (iv) | wholly abandon the counting of votes at that counting place and re-start (within 3 months after the dissolution of Parliament in the case of a general election) the polling at all polling stations which are specified in the direction under section 48A to be counted at that counting place and the counting of the votes cast thereat, if he is satisfied that counting thereat cannot be resumed or completed and that the number of votes to be counted will affect the result of the election. |
(2) In exercising any power under subsection (1), the Returning Officer shall —(a) | announce to such of the candidates and their counting agents attending the counting of the votes at the counting place concerned, the temporary suspension, adjournment, postponement or abandonment (as the case may be) of counting of votes at the counting place and where applicable, the date and time on and at which counting of votes at that counting place is to resume or be held in place of the suspended, adjourned, postponed or abandoned count, as the case may be; and | (b) | by notice published in the Gazette declare the temporary suspension, adjournment, postponement or abandonment (as the case may be) of counting of votes at the counting place concerned and where applicable, specify the date and time on and at which counting of votes at that counting place is to resume or be held in place of the suspended, adjourned, postponed or abandoned count, as the case may be. |
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(3) If, in exercising any power under subsection (1), the Returning Officer changes the location of any counting place, the announcement and notice given under subsection (2) shall also contain the address of the re-located counting place. |
(4) Before every temporary suspension or adjournment of the counting of votes at any counting place —(a) | all counted ballot papers, uncounted ballot papers and all other documents relating to the counting of votes at the counting place shall be sealed up in separate packets and placed in any ballot box or boxes; and | (b) | those ballot box or boxes shall then be sealed with the seal of the Returning Officer and the seals of such of the candidates or their counting agents as attend and desire to affix their seals. |
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(5) Before resuming the counting of votes following any such temporary suspension or adjournment of counting, the Returning Officer or a person authorised by him shall, in the presence of such of the candidates and their counting agents as attend, show each ballot box with such seals unbroken before taking out the uncounted ballot papers therein. |
(6) Any temporary suspension, postponement, adjournment or abandonment of the counting of votes at any counting place pursuant to the exercise of any power under subsection (1), and the resumption of counting of votes or polling in place of the suspended, adjourned, postponed or abandoned count, shall be carried out in the prescribed manner. |
(7) In this section, any reference to counting of votes includes a reference to the recounting of votes. |
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Adjournment, etc., of adding of counted votes |
56F.—(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, if at any time before or during the adding of all the counted votes in respect of an election in an electoral division, it appears to the Returning Officer that, in relation to the electoral division, the adding of those votes at the principal counting place for the electoral division is likely to be obstructed, disrupted, undermined or seriously affected because of —(a) | riot or open violence; | (b) | the threat of riot or open violence; | (c) | storm, tempest, flood or an occurrence of a similar kind; | (d) | a health hazard; | (e) | a fire or the activation of fire safety equipment (such as sprinklers or alarms); or | (f) | any other reason related to the safety of assistants, clerks adding the votes and candidates or their election agents present in the principal counting place, or to difficulties in the physical conduct of adding the counted votes, |
which has arisen or is likely to arise before or during the addition of votes at the principal counting place for that electoral division, the Returning Officer may — |
(i) | temporarily suspend the addition of votes at the principal counting place for a period not exceeding 2 hours, with or without changing the location of the principal counting place; or | (ii) | adjourn and postpone the addition of votes at the principal counting place to another day, with or without changing the location of the principal counting place. |
(2) In exercising any power under subsection (1), the Returning Officer shall —(a) | announce to such of the candidates and their election agents attending the addition of the votes at the principal counting place concerned, the temporary suspension, adjournment or postponement (as the case may be) of addition of votes at the principal counting place and where applicable, the date and time on and at which addition of votes at the principal counting place is to resume or to be held in place of the suspended, adjourned or postponed addition of votes, as the case may be; and | (b) | by notice published in the Gazette declare the temporary suspension, adjournment or postponement (as the case may be) of the addition of the votes at the principal counting place concerned and where applicable, specify the date and time on and at which addition of votes at that principal counting place is to resume or to be held in place of the suspended, adjourned or postponed addition of votes, as the case may be. |
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(3) If, in exercising any power under subsection (1), the Returning Officer changes the location of any principal counting place, the announcement and notice given under subsection (2) shall also contain the address of the re-located principal counting place. |
(4) Any temporary suspension, adjournment or postponement (as the case may be) of the addition of votes at any principal counting place pursuant to the exercise of any power under subsection (1), and the resumption of the addition of votes or the addition of votes in place of the suspended, adjourned or postponed addition, shall be carried out in the prescribed manner.”. |
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