Registered Voters in Hougang

Mr Chen Show Mao asked the Prime Minister (a) how many Singaporeans were entitled to vote in the 2012 Hougang by-election; (b) of these voters, how many were registered to vote; (c) how many voters were removed from the register of electors for Hougang following the 2011 General Election; and (d) how many voters were restored to the register of electors for Hougang following the 2011 General Elections and before the 2012 by-election.

Mr Teo Chee Hean (for the Prime Minister): For the 2012 Hougang by-election, there were 23,368 names in the register of electors for Hougang Constituency when the writ of election was issued on 9 May 2012, and these are the electors who were eligible to vote in the election. Under our election law, only persons whose names are found in the registers of electors are eligible to vote. Those who are eligible to vote are included in the registers when the registers are prepared, revised or updated automatically. There is no need for individual persons to register to vote, except for the registration of overseas electors.

Following the 2011 General Election, 1,348 names of non-voters were expunged from the register of electors for Hougang Constituency. However, following the 2011 Presidential Election which was held after the General Election, another 1,055 names of non-voters who failed to vote in the Presidential Election were expunged.

Following the 2011 General Election and before the Hougang by-election, 1,561 names of non-voters were restored to the register of electors for Hougang Constituency. This number includes non-voters from both the 2011 General Election and the 2011 Presidential Election who have their names restored.

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