The race to find Singapore's ninth president is on. Here, you will find Mothership's coverage of the 2023 Presidential Election.
We've put together key information about the candidates, as well as what you oughta know as a voter.
We're constantly updating this page so bookmark it to stay informed.
Table of Contents
- Key information about the candidates
- What you need to know as a voter
- POVs on the Presidential Election
The candidates
Three candidates have received certificates of eligibility to contest in the Presidential Election. They are Peter Ng Kok Song, Tan Kin Lian, and Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
Here's what you need to know about them.
Peter Ng Kok Song
Bio
- 75-year-old Singaporean who worked in the Ministry of Finance (MOF), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC)
- After retiring from GIC, he founded Avanda Investment Management
- Ng is a practioner of meditation. He taught former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew a meditation mantra after the passing of Lee's wife
- He is a widower with one son and two daughters, and is currently engaged
Key appeal
- He is an independent candidate without ties to any political party
- His experience as group chief investment officer at GIC would serve him well as the custodian of our reserves
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Tan Kin Lian
Bio
- 75-year-old Singaporean businessman who served as CEO of NTUC Income between 1997 and 2007
- He contested in the 2011 Presidential Election
- He is married and enjoys singing and cycling
Key appeal
- He pitched himself as an independent candidate, although he was a PAP member for 30 years
- He left the party citing disagreement with the party's value system
- He intends to use the president's office to influence policies
Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Bio
- 66-year old Singaporean who served as a Senior Minister, a Deputy Prime Minister, cabinet minister and a senior civil servant
- Internationally, he has served in the World Economic Forum, United Nations, and the International Monetary Fund
- He and his wife have three sons and one daughter
Key appeal
- His experience in economics and finance will be important as custodian of Singapore’s reserves
- His standing both domestically and globally makes him a natural choice as Singapore's representative to the world
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What you need to know as a voter
Voting is compulsory as long as you're a Singapore citizen who is aged above 21 years.
Make sure you remember to check that your particulars are updated in the Registers of Electors from Jun. 15 to Jun. 28.
Here are the key milestones you can keep track of:
Issuance of Writ of Election
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will issue the Writ of Election.
Once the Writ of Election is issued, potential candidates will have five days to submit their community declaration and apply for the Certificate of Eligibility.
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Announcement of Nomination Day details
The Elections Department will announce the date of Nomination Day and the time and place for candidates to submit their nomination papers and certificates.
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Nomination Day
Candidates will submit their nomination papers and certificates to the Returning Officer at the Nomination Centre. If more than one candidate is successfully nominated, there will be an election.
If you're a voter, you'll receive your poll card via post around two to three working days after Nomination Day. The poll card will state the polling station you need to report to.
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Campaign period
Candidates can start campaigning immediately after the conclusion of the nomination proceedings. Campaigning must end at the start of Cooling-off Day.
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Cooling-off Day
Campaigning is prohibited on Cooling-off Day, which is the eve of Polling Day. This is meant to give voters time to reflect on issues raised during the election before they go to the polls.
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Polling Day
Eligible voters can cast their votes between 8:00am and 8:00pm on Polling Day. Remember to bring your poll card and NRIC to the polling station.
Check out the new stamp that you can use to mark your ballot:
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Votes are counted after polls close. Votes from overseas are also transported/posted back to Singapore.
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Vote counting
If the total number of overseas votes is bigger than the difference between the number of local votes polled for the top two candidates, the Returning Officer will wait until all the overseas votes are counted before declaring the elected candidate.
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Singapore gets our ninth president.
POVs on the Presidential Election
For more perspectives on the Presidential Election, watch our How to President: Experts Explain series on YouTube.
It covers why the Presidential Election works best with two candidates, when the President will be needed as a check, and whether the public needs more transparency about dissent between the Prime Minister and President: