PART 4
POLLING
Crisis management power before start of polling
11.—(1)  The Returning Officer may exercise the crisis management power in paragraph (2) if, at any time before the polling day appointed for an election in an electoral division, the Returning Officer is of the opinion that the conduct of the poll in the electoral division is likely to be disrupted.
(2)  The Returning Officer may specify another date to be the polling day.
(3)  The specified date —
(a)must, if the poll is for an election that is a part of a general election, fall within the time delimited by Article 66 of the Constitution for a general election; and
(b)must not be later than the 56th day after the date of publication of the notice of contested election in the Gazette under section 34(6)(d) or 34A(6)(d) of the Act, as the case may be.
Crisis management powers in relation to particular polling stations
12.—(1)  The Returning Officer may exercise any crisis management power in paragraph (2) if, at any time before or during the conduct of the poll for an election in an electoral division, the Returning Officer is of the opinion that the conduct of the poll at a polling station is or is likely to be disrupted.
(2)  The Returning Officer may —
(a)temporarily suspend the poll at the affected polling station for a specified period (which must not exceed 2 hours), with or without specifying another location for the resumed poll;
(b)adjourn and postpone the poll at the affected polling station to a specified date and time, with or without specifying another location for the resumed poll;
(c)abandon the poll at the affected polling station and restart the poll on a specified date and time, with or without specifying another location for the restarted poll;
(d)close the poll at the affected polling station early; or
(e)if the affected polling station is an overseas polling station in a foreign country — wholly abandon the poll at the affected polling station if the Returning Officer is satisfied that voting in person cannot start or be resumed or completed due to special circumstances in the foreign country.
(3)  If the affected polling station is an overseas polling station —
(a)a resumed poll under paragraph (2)(a) or (b); or
(b)a restarted poll under paragraph (2)(c),
must not close later than the close of the poll on polling day in Singapore.
(4)  A date specified under paragraph (2)(b) or (c) —
(a)must, if the poll is for an election that is a part of a general election, fall within the time delimited by Article 66 of the Constitution for a general election; and
(b)must not be later than the 56th day after the date of publication of the notice of contested election in the Gazette under section 34(6)(d) or 34A(6)(d) of the Act, as the case may be.
Supplementary provisions if poll temporarily suspended
13.—(1)  This regulation applies if the poll at a polling station is temporarily suspended under regulation 12.
(2)  The presiding officer must announce the temporary suspension of the poll to persons present at the affected polling station.
(3)  The delivery of ballot papers to voters must stop immediately, but a voter to whom a ballot paper has been delivered must be allowed to record his or her vote.
(4)  The presiding officer must secure the ballot boxes for the affected polling station without opening them by sealing each ballot box with —
(a)the seal of the presiding officer; and
(b)the seals of the candidates and their polling agents who are in attendance and wish to affix their seals,
in a way that the ballot box cannot be opened and nothing can be inserted therein without breaking the seals.
(5)  The presiding officer must secure the voting material for the affected polling station in the presence of the candidates and their polling agents who are in attendance by —
(a)making up the voting material into separate packets; and
(b)sealing each packet with —
(i)the seal of the Returning Officer; and
(ii)the seals of the candidates and their polling agents who wish to affix their seals.
(6)  The presiding officer must hold the secured ballot boxes and secured voting material in safe custody (whether at the affected polling station or elsewhere) while the poll is temporarily suspended.
(7)  Immediately before the poll resumes, the presiding officer must —
(a)deliver the secured ballot boxes and secured voting material to the location for the resumed poll; and
(b)in the presence of the candidates and their polling agents who are in attendance —
(i)remove or conceal the seals of the candidates or their polling agents that were placed on the ballot boxes; and
(ii)retrieve the voting material that is necessary for the conduct of the resumed poll.
(8)  The resumed poll must be conducted as nearly as possible in accordance with the Act.
(9)  A person may vote at the resumed poll only if he or she —
(a)is a registered elector;
(b)is entitled to vote at the affected polling station; and
(c)did not vote before the temporary suspension.
Supplementary provisions if poll adjourned and postponed
14.—(1)  This regulation applies if the poll at a polling station is adjourned and postponed under regulation 12.
(2)  The presiding officer must announce the adjournment and postponement of the poll to persons present at the affected polling station.
(3)  The delivery of ballot papers to voters must stop immediately, but a voter to whom a ballot paper has been delivered must be allowed to record his or her vote.
(4)  The presiding officer must secure the ballot boxes for the affected polling station without opening them by sealing each ballot box with —
(a)the seal of the presiding officer; and
(b)the seals of the candidates and their polling agents who are in attendance and wish to affix their seals,
in a way that the ballot box cannot be opened and nothing can be inserted therein without breaking the seals.
(5)  The presiding officer must secure the voting material for the affected polling station in the presence of the candidates and their polling agents who are in attendance by —
(a)making up the voting material into separate packets; and
(b)sealing each packet with —
(i)the seal of the Returning Officer; and
(ii)the seals of the candidates and their polling agents who wish to affix their seals.
(6)  The presiding officer must deliver the secured ballot boxes and secured voting material to the Returning Officer.
(7)  The Returning Officer must hold the secured ballot boxes and secured voting material in safe custody (whether at the location of the adjourned poll or elsewhere).
(8)  Immediately before the poll resumes —
(a)the Returning Officer must deliver new ballot boxes and the secured voting material to the presiding officer at the location for the resumed poll; and
(b)the presiding officer must, in the presence of the candidates and their polling agents who are in attendance, retrieve the voting material that is necessary for the conduct of the resumed poll.
(9)  The resumed poll must be conducted as nearly as possible in accordance with the Act.
(10)  A person may vote at the resumed poll only if he or she —
(a)is a registered elector;
(b)is entitled to vote at the affected polling station; and
(c)did not vote before the adjournment.
(11)  Until the resumed poll is closed, votes must not be counted at —
(a)the counting place specified in respect of the affected polling station (whether the votes are cast at the affected polling station or elsewhere); and
(b)all other counting places located at the same premises.
(12)  After the resumed poll closes, the Returning Officer must deliver the secured ballot boxes held in safe custody under paragraph (7) to the counting place specified in respect of the affected polling station.
(13)  The Returning Officer must specify a date for counting votes at the counting places mentioned in paragraph (11).
(14)  The date specified under paragraph (13) must be published in the Gazette.
Supplementary provisions if poll abandoned and restarted
15.—(1)  This regulation applies if the poll at a polling station is abandoned and restarted under regulation 12.
(2)  The presiding officer must announce the abandonment and restarting of the poll to persons present at the affected polling station.
(3)  The delivery of ballot papers to voters must stop immediately.
(4)  The presiding officer must secure the ballot boxes for the affected polling station without opening them by sealing each ballot box with —
(a)the seal of the presiding officer; and
(b)the seals of the candidates and their polling agents who are in attendance and wish to affix their seals,
in a way that the ballot box cannot be opened and nothing can be inserted therein without breaking the seals.
(5)  The presiding officer must secure the voting material for the affected polling station in the presence of the candidates and their polling agents who are in attendance by —
(a)making up the voting material into separate packets; and
(b)sealing each packet with —
(i)the seal of the Returning Officer; and
(ii)the seals of the candidates and their polling agents who wish to affix their seals.
(6)  The presiding officer must deliver the secured ballot boxes and secured voting material to the Returning Officer.
(7)  The Returning Officer must —
(a)hold the secured ballot boxes and secured voting material in safe custody for 6 months; and
(b)destroy the secured ballot boxes and secured voting material at the end of those 6 months unless the President or Election Judge otherwise orders.
(8)  Paragraphs (4) to (7) do not apply if it is impossible or impracticable in the circumstances to secure the ballot boxes and voting material.
(9)  The restarted poll must be conducted as nearly as possible in accordance with the Act.
(10)  A person may vote at the restarted poll only if he or she is —
(a)a registered elector; and
(b)entitled to vote at the affected polling station.
(11)  Until the restarted poll is closed, votes must not be counted at —
(a)the counting place specified in respect of the affected polling station (whether the votes are cast at the affected polling station or elsewhere); and
(b)all other counting places located at the same premises.
(12)  The Returning Officer must specify a date for counting votes at the counting places mentioned in paragraph (11).
(13)  The date specified under paragraph (12) must be published in the Gazette.
Supplementary provisions if poll closed early
16.—(1)  This regulation applies if the poll at a polling station closes early under regulation 12.
(2)  The closure of the poll must be carried out as nearly as possible in accordance with the Act.
Supplementary provisions if poll wholly abandoned
17.—(1)  This regulation applies if the poll at a polling station is wholly abandoned under regulation 12.
(2)  The presiding officer must announce the abandonment of the poll to persons present at the affected polling station.
(3)  The delivery of ballot papers to voters must stop immediately.
(4)  The presiding officer must secure the ballot boxes for the affected polling station without opening them by sealing each ballot box with —
(a)the seal of the presiding officer; and
(b)the seals of the candidates and their polling agents who are in attendance and wish to affix their seals,
in a way that the ballot box cannot be opened and nothing can be inserted therein without breaking the seals.
(5)  The presiding officer must secure the voting material for the affected polling station in the presence of the candidates and their polling agents who are in attendance by —
(a)making up the voting material into separate packets; and
(b)sealing each packet with —
(i)the seal of the Returning Officer; and
(ii)the seals of the candidates and their polling agents who wish to affix their seals.
(6)  The presiding officer must deliver the secured ballot boxes and secured voting material to the Returning Officer.
(7)  The Returning Officer must —
(a)hold the secured ballot boxes and secured voting material in safe custody for 6 months; and
(b)destroy the secured ballot boxes and secured voting material at the end of those 6 months unless the President or Election Judge otherwise orders.
(8)  Paragraphs (4) to (7) do not apply if it is impossible or impracticable in the circumstances to secure the ballot boxes and voting material.
Modifications of references to polling day in Act
18.  If the poll for an election in an electoral division is to be conducted on 2 or more days as a result of the exercise of a crisis management power in regulation 12 —
(a)a reference to polling day in section 61C(4)(a)(i) and (b)(i) of the Act (definition of “cooling‑off period”) is to be read as a reference to the earliest day on which polling is to be conducted;
(b)a reference to polling day in the following provisions of the Act is to be read as a reference to the latest day on which polling is to be conducted:
Section 43(11) (restoration of name to register)
Section 61C(4)(a)(ii) and (b)(ii) (definition of “cooling‑off period”)
Section 61S(1) (definition of “election period”)
Section 69(4) (order to amend maximum expenses)
Section 78C(1) (blackout period for election survey results)
Section 80A(2) (restrictions on election meetings)
Section 81(1) (prohibition of dissuasion from voting)
Section 102B(2) (restrictions on making regulations); and
(c)a reference to polling day in the following provisions of the Act is to be read as a reference to each day on which polling is to be conducted:
Section 71(4) (prohibition against parking)
Section 76(1) (reasonable period for employees to vote)
Section 77(1) (prohibition of badges, symbols, etc.)
Section 78D(1) (exit polls ban)
Section 80(1) and (5) (prohibition of canvassing)
Section 80A(1) (restrictions on election meetings)
Section 82(1) (undue influence at or near polling station)
Section 84 (unlawful assembly).