In a Jun. 8 press release, the Elections Department (ELD) announced that it has drawn up contingency plans for safety measures on polling day, should the General Election (GE) be held during the Covid-19 situation.

Safety measures at polling stations

To ensure safe polling conduct, these following measures will be put in place:

1. Temperature screening

Temperature screening of all voters will be conducted at the start of the queue to detect anyone with fever or respiratory symptoms.

Those who are detected with fever or respiratory symptoms will not be allowed to enter the polling station.

A decision on whether the person will be allowed to vote will be made later based on the prevailing Covid-19 situation.

Candidates and polling agents who wish to enter the polling station will also need to have their temperatures taken.

2. Contact tracing

Polling agents and candidates entering the polling station will have to use the SafeEntry app to check-in and check-out for contact tracing purposes.

Voters, on the other hand, are not required to use the SafeEntry app as the e-Registration system records the time when voters register at the polling station and will be used for contact tracing if necessary.

3. Safe distancing at polling stations

Safe distancing will be enforced at all times for voters waiting to enter the polling stations and within the polling stations.

The seating area for election officials and polling agents will also be spaced one metre apart.

4. Measures to reduce potential crowding at the polling stations

According to ELD, there will be an increase in polling stations from 880 to 1,100 this year.

This means that the number of voters per polling station will be reduced from an average of 3,000 to 2,400.

ELD also stated that voters should not bring non-voters, such as children, to the polling stations.

Voters will also be allotted a recommended two-hour voting time-band, which will be indicated on their hardcopy poll card and e-Poll card (on the SingPass mobile app), to spread out voters across polling hours.

A digital service will be available for voters to check the queue situation at their assigned polling station.

For senior voters aged 65 and above, they will be allotted a recommended two-hour voting time-bands from 8am to 12 noon.

Those who are unable to vote during their allotted time-bands in the morning can still do so at other times of the day. They will then be able to join priority queues.

According to ELD, a senior voter who requires assistance may be accompanied by one household member.

To enable a safer environment for seniors to vote, ELD also encourages younger voters to vote during their allotted time-bands.

Younger voters who turn up in the morning may have to wait longer.

5. Quick and contactless voting

As voters will self-scan their NRIC for registration, no contact with any election officials is required.

With this e-registration, each voter should not need to spend more than five minutes within the polling station to register, sanitise their hands, put on disposable gloves, and vote.

6. Enforcement of stringent hygiene practices

Voters must wear masks when they leave their homes, in accordance to the law.

They have to sanitise their hands and wear disposable gloves before receiving a ballot paper to minimise the risk of contamination.

ELD said that voters can also bring their own pens to mark the ballot papers.

Election officials, on the other hand, will be equipped with appropriate protective gear, such as surgical masks, disposable gloves, face shields and pocket-sized hand sanitisers, to carry out their duties safely.

They will also have ready access to water and soap to wash their hands regularly.

In addition, cleaners will be deployed at all polling stations to ensure a high level of hygiene and cleaning frequency throughout the polling hours.

The cleaners will clean common touch-points, like the polling booths and the self-inking “X” pens, at least once every half hour.

After the close of poll, they will also thoroughly disinfect the polling stations.

Voters on quarantine/SHN/MC

Voters on stay home notice (SHN) at designated facilities will vote at special polling stations away from other voters as permitted under the Parliamentary Elections (COVID-19 Special Arrangements) Act 2020.

For other affected voters, such as those under quarantine, SHN at home, or on MC for acute respiratory symptoms, they will have to wait for ELD's decision after consulting the Ministry of Health (MOH) to assess the public health risks of allowing them to vote.

The decision for these groups of voters will be announced when the writ of election is issued.

Stepping up voter education

ELD will be stepping up voter education on the measures in place to ensure that polling can be done safely.

This will include public education material that will be carried on free-to-air TV and radio, and advertisements on print media, as well as other platforms.

ELD will also prepare a brochure on safe voting, which will be sent to all households together with the poll cards.

Top image by Suhaimi Abdullah via Getty Images.