The names of 155,180 eligible voters who failed to cast their ballot at the general election this year have been struck from the registers, the Elections Department (ELD) said yesterday.
This means that they will not be able to vote or stand as a candidate in future elections unless their names are restored to the registers.
Restoration can be done through application to the ELD with their reason for not voting.
Acceptable reasons include working or studying overseas at the time of polling, living with a spouse who is working or studying overseas, overseas vacation, illness, or delivering a baby. A $50 reinstatement fee will have to be paid if the ELD finds the reason unacceptable.
A total of 2,307,746 votes were cast in the Sept 11 polls. This is 93.7 per cent of the 2,462,926 registered electors.
Singaporeans can check their elector status and apply to be restored to the registers via the ELD's website (www.eld.gov.sg) or in person at the ELD building, community centres and clubs, or Singapore overseas missions that serve as overseas registration centres.
Applicants should take along their NRIC or passport.
The window for restoration to the registers closes when the next Writ of Election is issued.
This is likely to be the Writ for the next presidential election, which must be held by August 2017.
Separately, ELD yesterday encouraged overseas Singaporeans to register as overseas voters early, which can be done through the mentioned channels.
Unlike those voting locally, overseas voters must register anew with each revision of the registers of electors.
To be eligible, they must reside overseas, be listed in the registers of electors and have resided in Singapore for at least 30 days during the three-year period between Feb 1, 2012 and Jan 31 this year.
Correction note: An earlier version of this article said that the Elections Department (ELD) issues the next Writ of Election, when in fact the ELD does not issue the Writ of Election. It also said that overseas voters must register anew with each election, when in fact overseas votes must register anew with each revision of the registers of electors. We are sorry for the errors.
