SINGAPORE VOTERS WHO ARE OVERSEAS

Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Prime Minister, in view of the regionalisation drive (a) how many eligible voters are overseas; (b) whether they will be given an opportunity to vote in the next general election either by post or at the embassy and, if so, whether a change in legislation is required; and (c) if a change to the legislation is required, whether there is any plan to do so and if not, why not.

Mr Goh Chok Tong: (a) Eligible voters who go or are overseas do not inform the Elections Department. They are also not required to register themselves with Singapore missions overseas. The Elections Department therefore does not know how many eligible voters are overseas.

(b) For the coming General Election, no plan has been made for those who are overseas to vote by post or at any of our embassies. The Presidential Elections Act and the Parliamentary Elections Act will have to be amended before Singaporeans are allowed to vote overseas.

(c) There is no plan to amend the legislation to allow voting overseas. The Elections Department has studied the subject and found the operational difficulties complex, and the system unable to reach out to all eligible voters who are overseas. For example, the last known addresses of many eligible voters overseas may not be up to date. Also, we have only 27 missions abroad while eligible voters are all over the world.