View source for Elections in Singapore

{{Short description|none}}
<!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{use Singapore English|date=August 2019}}

{{Politics of Singapore}}

'''Elections in Singapore''' comprise two types: [[General elections in Singapore|parliamentary]] and [[Presidential elections in Singapore|presidential]] elections. Under the [[Constitution of Singapore]], a general election must be held within three months of the dissolution of Parliament, which has a maximum term of five years from the date of its first sitting. Presidential elections are held every six years. All elections in Singapore operate under the [[first-past-the-post voting]] (FPTP) system.

Singapore employs an [[Sampling (statistics)|official sample count system]] to provide early indications of election outcomes. At each polling station, a counting assistant randomly selects 100 ballots, which are then tallied to produce a mini-sample. These samples are aggregated and weighted according to the number of votes cast at each station to generate constituency-level projections. Based on simple random sampling, the estimates typically achieve a 95% confidence level with a margin of error of 4–5%. This system is designed to offer a statistically reliable and timely snapshot of the likely results shortly after the close of polls.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Deborah Lau |title=PE 2023: Explainer — what are sample counts, how are they generated and when are they expected to be released? |url=https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/pe-2023-presidential-election-sample-count-explainer-2243916 |website=TODAY |access-date=15 May 2025 |language=en |date=31 August 2023}}</ref> In contrast, countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and Australia rely on the progressive counting and real-time reporting of actual vote returns from precincts or count centres. While this approach offers greater transparency at a granular level, it generally results in slower reporting compared to Singapore's sample-based method.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Natasha Ganesan |title=CNA Explains: Sample counts, invalid votes and recounts – what you need to know about PE2023 Polling Day |url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/presidential-election-vote-counting-recounts-polling-day-3734416 |website=www.channelnewsasia.com |access-date=15 May 2025 |date=31 August 2023}}</ref>

Unlike many other countries where elections are administered by independent electoral commissions, elections in Singapore are conducted by the [[Elections Department Singapore|Elections Department Singapore (ELD)]], which is a [[Government department|department]] under the [[Prime Minister's Office (Singapore)|Prime Minister's Office]] (PMO) of the [[Government of Singapore]]. On polling day during elections, voting takes place from 08:00 to 20:00 [[Singapore Standard Time|SST]] ([[UTC+08:00]]). Sample count results are typically released by 22:30, with final results announced by the Returning Officer by approximately 03:00 the following morning. Victory parades by elected candidates in their respective constituencies customarily commence at 08:30 later that day.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-05-03 |title=GE2025: What time will the election results be out? |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/ge2025-what-time-will-the-election-results-be-out |access-date=2025-05-03 |work=The Straits Times |language=en |issn=0585-3923}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-03 |title=GE2025 live: Election victory parades kick off across Singapore {{!}} The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/live-singapore-election-polling-day-2025 |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=www.straitstimes.com |language=en}}</ref>  

The last presidential election was held in [[2023 Singaporean presidential election|2023]], which was won by [[Tharman Shanmugaratnam]] with 70.41% of the vote. The last general election was held in [[2025 Singaporean general election|2025]], which elected 97 seats to the [[unicameral legislature|unicameral]] [[Parliament of Singapore]]. Since the [[1959 Singaporean general election]], the [[People's Action Party]] (PAP) has maintained a dominant position, consistently securing a [[supermajority]] of seats and forming the government in every successive general election.

==Parliamentary elections==
{{main|Parliamentary elections in Singapore}}
===Political climate===
==== Dominance of the People's Action Party (1965–1981) ====
From Singapore's independence in 1965 until 1981, the [[People's Action Party]] (PAP) has secured every seat in Parliament across successive general elections, resulting in a legislature devoid of elected opposition members for nearly two decades. During this period, numerous opposition politicians and trade unionists were detained without trial under the [[Internal Security Act (Singapore)|Internal Security Act]] (ISA). Notable figures such as [[Lim Chin Siong]], [[Said Zahari]], [[Lim Hock Siew]] and [[Chia Thye Poh]] were among those detained, accused of involvement in subversive [[communist]] activities as part of the climate of the [[Cold War]]. Some individuals, including opposition candidates declared bankrupt or convicted of criminal offenses, were rendered ineligible to contest elections. Social commentators have argued that such measures contributed to a climate of fear and suppressed dissent in Singapore's political scene.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Loo |first1=Daryl |title=Climate of fear hurts Singapore: author |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/climate-of-fear-hurts-singapore-author-20071214-1h5t.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=16 May 2025 |language=en |date=14 December 2007}}</ref>

==== Opposition representation and electoral reforms (1980s–1990s) ====
The political landscape began to shift in the 1980s. In 1981, [[J. B. Jeyaretnam]] of the [[Workers' Party (Singapore)|Workers' Party]] (WP) won a [[1981 Anson by-election|by-election in Anson]], becoming the first elected opposition MP since independence. He was followed by [[Chiam See Tong]] of the [[Singapore Democratic Party]] (SDP) in 1984, further breaking the PAP's parliamentary monopoly although retaining its supermajority. To institutionalise broader representation, the PAP government introduced two key schemes: the [[Non-Constituency Member of Parliament]] (NCMP) scheme in 1984, which granted parliamentary seats to the best-performing unelected opposition candidates, and the [[Nominated Member of Parliament]] (NMP) scheme in 1990, allowing appointed nonpartisan individuals to contribute to parliamentary debate. The NCMP scheme has evolved over time, with its seat allocation increasing from three in its early years to nine in the 2010s, and later to twelve from the [[2020 Singaporean general election|2020 general election]] onwards.

Electoral reforms continued with the introduction of the [[Group Representation Constituency]] (GRC) system in 1988. Under this system, candidates contest in teams of three to six, and each team must include at least one member from a [[Demographics of Singapore|recognised minority group]], in order to ensure ethnic representation in Parliament. The GRC model also places [[Town Council (Singapore)|town council]] management under the purview of the elected MPs. However, critics argue that GRCs make it more difficult for opposition parties to contest, as they must field entire teams, often including minority candidates, and compete in larger constituencies. Some GRCs have seen repeated walkovers where PAP teams were elected unopposed. Observers and analysts have also described the system as a form of [[gerrymandering]], limiting the opposition's electoral prospects.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mutalib |first1=Hussin |title=Constitutional‐Electoral Reforms and Politics in Singapore |journal=Legislative Studies Quarterly |date=November 2002 |volume=27 |issue=4 |pages=659–672 |doi=10.2307/3598663 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3598663 |access-date=16 May 2025|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==== Contemporary political landscape ====
The delineation of electoral boundaries is overseen by the [[Elections Department Singapore|Elections Department]] (ELD), which is part of the executive branch under the [[Prime Minister's Office (Singapore)|Prime Minister's Office]] (PMO), rather than an independent agency. The ELD does not publicly disclose detailed justifications for changes to electoral boundaries, citing general reasons such as population changes and the need to balance electorate sizes. This process has been criticised for a lack of transparency and perceived partisanship, particularly when constituencies with significant opposition support and narrow victories for the PAP, such as [[Cheng San GRC]] and [[Eunos GRC]], were redrawn or dissolved in subsequent elections. Similarly, single-member constituencies (SMCs), like [[Bukit Batok SMC]] and [[Yuhua SMC]], which saw close contests, were previously absorbed into GRCs, only to be later restored.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal|last1=Tan|first1=Netina|title=Manipulating electoral laws in Singapore, Electoral Studies|journal=Electoral Studies|date=14 July 2013|issue=Special Symposium: The new research agenda on electoral integrity|doi=10.1016/j.electstud.2013.07.014|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259512325|access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref>

Despite ongoing criticisms of electoral engineering, international observers such as [[Freedom House]] have assessed Singapore's elections as free from [[electoral fraud]], including vote tampering or ballot rigging. However, these elections are conducted within a tightly controlled political environment that raises broader concerns about electoral fairness. Civil rights monitors have highlighted systemic issues such as the lack of an independent elections commission, the significant influence of the ruling PAP over state institutions and restrictions on opposition activities.<ref>{{cite web |title=Singapore: Freedom in the World 2024 Country Report |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/singapore/freedom-world/2024 |website=Freedom House |access-date=16 May 2025 |language=en |date=2024}}</ref>

In particular, media bias is frequently cited, with mainstream media outlets such as [[Mediacorp]] and [[SPH Media Trust]], which are owned or closely aligned with government-linked entities, providing disproportionately favorable coverage to the PAP. Opposition parties often face challenges in gaining equal airtime, and are subject to strict defamation and campaign finance laws, which critics argue are selectively enforced. These constraints, coupled with the PAP's longstanding dominance and its access to extensive state resources, create an uneven playing field. As a result, while elections are procedurally sound in terms of voting integrity, the broader political context limits genuine competition and hinders the development of a pluralistic democracy.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cenite |first1=Mark |last2=Shing Yee |first2=Chong |last3=Teck Juan |first3=Han |last4=Li Qin |first4=Lim |last5=Xian Lin |first5=Tan |title=Perpetual development journalism? Balance and framing in the 2006 Singapore election coverage |journal=Asian Journal of Communication |date=September 2008 |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=280–295 |doi=10.1080/01292980802239416 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01292980802239416 |access-date=16 May 2025|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Latest general election===
{{Main|2025 Singaporean general election}}

A general election was last called on 15 April 2025, and was held in 3 May that year.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Linette Lai |title=GE2025: Singaporeans will go to the polls on May 3, Nomination Day on April 23 |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/ge2025-singapore-parliament-dissolved-writ-of-election-to-be-issued-soon |website=The Straits Times |access-date=15 May 2025 |language=en |date=15 April 2025}}</ref> The PAP won 87 out of the 97 seats with 65.57% of the popular vote, while the WP won the remaining 10 seats.

{{#section-h:2025 Singaporean general election|Results}}

==Presidential elections==
{{main|Presidential elections in Singapore}}
Presidential elections have been held since 1993. Under the "Presidential Elections Act",<ref>{{cite web | url=https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/PrEA1991 | title=PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ACT | access-date=21 September 2018}}</ref> to run for president, one must obtain a "[[Certificate of Eligibility]]" from the Presidential Elections Committee. These conditions are:

* Be a [[Singaporean nationality law|citizen of Singapore]].<ref>Constitution, Art. 19(2)(a).</ref>
* Be at least 45 years of age.<ref>Constitution, Art. 19(2)(b).</ref>
* Be a registered voter.<ref>Constitution, Art. 19(2)(c) read with Art. 44(2)(c).</ref>
* Be a resident in Singapore at the date of their nomination for election and a resident for periods amounting in the aggregate to not less than ten years prior to that date.<ref>Constitution, Art. 19(2)(c) read with Art. 44(2)(d).</ref>
* Not be subject to any of the following disqualifications:<ref>Constitution, Art. 19(2)(d) read with Art. 45.</ref>
::(a) being and having been found or declared to be of unsound mind;
::(b) being an undischarged bankrupt;
::(c) holding an office of profit;
::(d) having been nominated for election to Parliament or the office of President or having acted as election agent to a person so nominated, failing to lodge any return of election expenses required by law within the time and in the manner so required;
::(e) having been convicted of an offence by a court of law in Singapore or Malaysia and sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than one year or to a fine of not less than [[Singapore dollar|S$]]2,000 and having not received a free pardon, provided that where the conviction is by a court of law in Malaysia, the person shall not be disqualified unless the offence is also one which, had it been committed in Singapore, would have been punishable by a court of law in Singapore;<ref>The disqualification of a person under clauses (d) and (e) may be removed by the President and shall, if not so removed, cease at the end of five years beginning from the date on which the return mentioned in clause (d) was required to be lodged or, as the case may be, the date on which the person convicted as mentioned in clause (e) was released from custody or the date on which the fine mentioned in clause (1) (e) was imposed on such person: Constitution, Art. 45(2).</ref>
::(f) having voluntarily acquired the citizenship of, or exercised rights of citizenship in, a foreign country, or having made a declaration of allegiance to a foreign country;<ref>A person shall not be disqualified under this clause by reason only of anything done by him before he became a citizen of Singapore: Constitution, Art. 45(2). In clause (f), "foreign country" does not include any part of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] or the [[Republic of Ireland]]: Art. 45(3).</ref>
::(g) being disqualified under any law relating to offences in connection with elections to Parliament or the office of President by reason of having been convicted of such an offence or having in proceedings relating to such an election been proved guilty of an act constituting such an offence.
* Be a person of integrity, good character and reputation.<ref name="Art 19(2)(e)">Constitution, Art. 19(2)(e).</ref>
* Not be a member of any [[list of political parties in Singapore|political party]] on the date of nomination for election.<ref>Constitution, Art. 19(2)(f).</ref>
* Have served for a at least three years in office —
** as [[Cabinet of Singapore#Responsibilities of Ministers|Minister]], [[Chief Justice of Singapore|Chief Justice]], [[Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore|Speaker]], [[Attorney-General of Singapore|Attorney-General]], Chairman of the [[Public Service Commission (Singapore)|Public Service Commission]], Auditor-General, Accountant-General or [[Permanent Secretary]];<ref>Constitution, Art. 19(3)(a).</ref>
** as [[chief executive officer]] (CEO) of a key statutory board or government company: the [[Central Provident Fund Board]], the [[Housing and Development Board]], the [[JTC Corporation|Jurong Town Corporation]], the [[Monetary Authority of Singapore]], [[Temasek Holdings]], or [[GIC Private Limited]] (formerly known as the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation);<ref name="Cons193bFifth">Constitution, Art. 19(3)(b) read with the Fifth Schedule.</ref>
** as the most senior executive of a company with an average of $500 million in [[Equity (finance)#Legal foundations|shareholders' equity]] for the most recent three years in that office, and which is profitable after [[Corporate tax|taxes]];<ref name="Cons194197">Constitution, Art. 19(4), read with Art. 19(7).</ref> or
** in any other similar or comparable position of seniority and responsibility in any other organisation or department of equivalent size or complexity in the [[public sector|public]] or [[private sector]] which has given him such experience and ability in administering and managing financial affairs as to enable him to carry out effectively the functions and duties of the office of President.<ref name="Cons1934">Constitution, Art. 19(3)(c) and Art 19(4)(b).</ref>

Because of the stringent requirements needed to run for presidential elections, only three out of the seven elections had contests (1993, 2011 and 2023), while the rest were [[walkover (sport)|walkovers]]. An amendment to the Constitution in 2016 saw the 2017 election become reserved for a certain community ([[Malay Singaporeans|Malay community]] in the case), resulting in that year's election to cause a walkover as well. To date, 10 candidates had awarded the Certificate of Eligibility (with two being eligible twice), of which five candidates were president-elect (only one candidate, [[S. R. Nathan]], had served for two terms and had no prior affiliation with the incumbent ruling [[People's Action Party]]).
===Latest presidential election===
{{Main|2023 Singaporean presidential election}}
A presidential election was last called on 11 August 2023, and was held in 1 September that year.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Goh Yan Han |title=Singapore Presidential Election 2023: Polling Day on Sept 1, Nomination Day on Aug 22 |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/singapore-presidential-election-2023-polling-day-on-sept-1-nomination-day-on-aug-22 |website=The Straits Times |access-date=16 May 2025 |language=en |date=11 August 2023}}</ref>
{{#section-h:2023 Singaporean presidential election|Results}}

==Referendums==
A [[referendum]] may also be held for important national issues, although it has been held only once in Singapore's political history for the 1962 [[1962 Singapore national referendum|merger referendum]]. During the 2000s, there were calls by religious groups to have a referendum over the building of [[casino]]s in Singapore, but was rejected by prime minister [[Lee Hsien Loong]]. Casinos were ultimately built at the [[Marina Bay Sands]] and the [[Resorts World Sentosa]].<ref>{{cite web |title=SINGAPORE: Casino Plans Stir Debate in Otherwise Reticent Society |url=https://www.ipsnews.net/2005/01/singapore-casino-plans-stir-debate-in-otherwise-reticent-society |website=Inter Press Service |access-date=16 May 2025 |date=28 January 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=No referendum on Singapore casino - UPI.com |url=https://www.upi.com/Business_News/2005/03/02/No-referendum-on-Singapore-casino/10341109811235 |website=UPI |access-date=16 May 2025 |language=en |date=2 March 2005}}</ref>

==Past elections==
===Legislative Council elections===
* [[1948 Singaporean general election|1948 general election]]
* [[1948 Rural West by-election]]
* [[1951 Singaporean general election|1951 general election]]
* [[1952 Seletar by-election]]

===Legislative Assembly elections===
* [[1955 Singaporean general election|1955 general election]]
* [[1957 Singaporean by-elections|1957 by-elections]]
* [[1959 Singaporean general election|1959 general election]]
* [[1961 Singaporean by-elections|1961 by-elections (April and July)]]

====As State of Malaysia====
* [[1963 Singaporean general election|1963 general election]]
* [[1965 Hong Lim by-election]]

===Parliamentary elections===
{{Main|Parliamentary elections in Singapore}}
{{divcol}}
* [[1966 Singaporean by-elections|1966 by-elections (January, March & November)]]
* [[1967 Singaporean by-elections|1967 by-elections]]
* [[1968 Singaporean general election|1968 general election (First general election as an independent nation)]]
* [[1970 Singaporean by-elections|1970 by-elections]]
* [[1972 Singaporean general election|1972 general election]]
* [[1976 Singaporean general election|1976 general election]]
* [[1977 Singaporean by-elections|1977 by-election (May & November)]]
* [[1979 Singaporean by-elections|1979 by-elections]]
* [[1980 Singaporean general election|1980 general election]]
* [[1981 Anson by-election]]
* [[1984 Singaporean general election|1984 general election]]
* [[1988 Singaporean general election|1988 general election]]
* [[1991 Singaporean general election|1991 general election]]
* [[1992 Marine Parade by-election]]
* [[1997 Singaporean general election|1997 general election]]
* [[2001 Singaporean general election|2001 general election]]
* [[2006 Singaporean general election|2006 general election]]
* [[2011 Singaporean general election|2011 general election]]
* [[2012 Hougang by-election]]
* [[2013 Punggol East by-election]]
* [[2015 Singaporean general election|2015 general election]]
* [[2016 Bukit Batok by-election]]
* [[2020 Singaporean general election|2020 general election]]
* [[2025 Singaporean general election|2025 general election]]
{{divcol-end}}

==Other elections==
{{divcol}}

{{col-begin}}
{{Col-1-of-3}}

===Municipal Commission elections===
* [[April 1949 Singapore Municipal Commission election|April 1949 ordinary election]]
* [[December 1949 Singapore Municipal Commission election|December 1949 ordinary election]]

{{Col-2-of-3}}

===City Council elections===
* [[1957 Singapore City Council election|1957 ordinary election]]
* [[1958 Singapore City Council by-election|1958 by-election]]

{{Col-3-of-3}}

===National referendums===
* [[1962 Singaporean integration referendum|1962 national referendum]]
{{col-end}}

{{col-begin}}
{{Col-1-of-4}}

===Federal & State elections for Malaysia===
* [[1964 Malaysian general election|1964 general election]]

{{Col-2-of-3}}

===Presidential elections===
{{Main|Presidential elections in Singapore}}
* [[1993 Singaporean presidential election|1993 presidential election]]
* [[1999 Singaporean presidential election|1999 presidential election]]
* [[2005 Singaporean presidential election|2005 presidential election]]
* [[2011 Singaporean presidential election|2011 presidential election]]
* [[2017 Singaporean presidential election|2017 presidential election]]
* [[2023 Singaporean presidential election|2023 presidential election]]

{{Col-3-of-3}}

===Party election===
* [[1959 PAP prime ministerial election]]
{{col-end}}
{{divcol-end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Singapore|Politics}}
* [[Electoral calendar]]
* [[List of Singapore opposition party MPs elected]]

==Footnotes==
{{notelist|refs=

{{efn|name=RV|131,820 of the 2,758,846 voters were registered in uncontested constituencies, leaving 2,627,026 voters able to vote.}}

}}

==References==
;Citations
{{Reflist}}
;Bibliography
{{Refbegin}}
* {{citation|last=Yeo|first=Lay Hwee|chapter=Electoral Politics in Singapore|chapter-url=http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/iez/01361007.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070306104407/http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/iez/01361007.pdf|archive-date=6 March 2007|editor1-last=Croissant|editor1-first=Aurel|editor2-last=Bruns|editor2-first=Gabriele|editor3-last=John|editor3-first=Marei|title=Electoral Politics in Southeast and East Asia|location=Singapore|publisher=Office for Regional Cooperation, [[Friedrich Ebert Foundation|Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung]]|year=2002|pages=203–232|isbn=978-981-04-6020-4}}.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Library resources box
 |onlinebooks=no
 |by=no
}}
{{Commons category|Elections in Singapore}}
*[http://www.elections.gov.sg/ Singapore Elections Department website]
*[https://sg-elections.com/ Singapore Elections]
*[http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/s/singapore/ Adam Carr's Election Archive]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110820011015/http://libguides.nl.sg/ge National Library of Singapore's resource guide on general elections in Singapore]
*[https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/CONS1963 Constitution of the Republic of Singapore]
*[https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/PEA1954 Parliamentary Elections Act (Chapter 218), The Statutes of the Republic of Singapore]

{{Singaporean elections|State=uncollapsed}}
{{Asia topic|Elections in}}
{{Singapore topics}}

[[Category:Elections in Singapore| ]]
[[Category:Singapore politics-related lists]]