The Elections Department (ELD) has issued a reminder about Cooling-off Day on Thursday, Sept. 10, the eve of Polling Day.

First instituted in the 2011 elections, Cooling-off Day is to let voters reflect rationally on various issues raised at an election before going to the polls.

This is the day where campaigning is disallowed and election advertising must not be published or displayed.

What members of the public should take note of

For members of the public, they can still transmit their personal political views to other individuals on a non-commercial basis via the Internet, telephone or other electronic means.

But the wearing, using, carrying or displaying of any political propaganda on any person or vehicles are prohibited.

According to the ELD, political propaganda includes badges, symbols, rosettes, favours, sets of colours, flags, advertisements, handbills, placards, posters or replicas of voting papers.

Across the board, for candidates and supporters, canvassing, visiting homes and workplaces of voters for campaigning purposes and the holding of election meetings are banned on Cooling-off Day and Polling Day under the Parliamentary Elections Act.

What candidates can and cannot do

On Cooling-off Day and Polling Day, the ELD said candidates should exercise due care to avoid any action that may be perceived as campaigning. They are advised to be “mindful” of how they conduct themselves in public.

Political parties and their supporters must not knowingly publish or display, cause or permit to be published or displayed any election advertising in or among electors in the electoral division. This includes advertising on any vehicle, thing or structure within or adjoining the electoral division.

However, election advertisements that were put up on the Internet must be left unchanged once the campaign silence period kicks in at midnight.

However, programmatic advertising -- the use of technology to automatically deliver digital ads online and on social media platforms -- should not be conducted on both Cooling-off Day and Polling Day.

Although candidates should, as far as possible, refrain from visiting their constituents or attending public events in their constituencies -- where they are likely to attract public attention in the next two days -- the ELD also said that it would still be permissible for candidates to attend religious ceremonies as long as attendance is solely for private prayer or worship.

The attending of functions in the course of work or employment is also allowed, as long as the general prohibitions against campaigning and election advertising are adhered to.

Here is the full press release:

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