SINGAPORE - Ballot papers and other documents used in the 2023 Presidential Election will be destroyed in March, said the Elections Department (ELD) on Feb 19.
The move, which is in accordance with the Presidential Elections Act 1991, will see all sealed boxes containing ballot papers and other documents used in the Sept 1 election transported from the Supreme Court – where they have been kept in safe custody – to the Tuas South Incineration Plant for destruction on March 2.
The Act mandates that ballot papers and other documents used in an election shall be sealed and retained in safe custody for a period of six months, after which they will be destroyed unless otherwise directed by order of the President. This is to ensure the secrecy of the vote, said ELD.
The department added that it will contact candidates or their representatives who wish to witness the proceedings.
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam won the presidential election with 70.41 per cent of the vote.
Mr Ng Kok Song and Mr Tan Kin Lian, the other candidates in the three-cornered race, received 15.72 per cent and 13.87 per cent, respectively.
More than 2.5 million Singaporeans went to the polls at 1,264 polling stations across the island, after nine busy days of hustings.
There were 2,480,760 votes cast for the candidates, while 50,152 votes were rejected – 1.98 per cent of votes cast. Voter turnout was over 93 per cent of eligible voters.
Voters abroad also turned up at 10 overseas polling stations to cast their ballots. This election also featured postal voting for the first time, which over 3,400 overseas voters registered for.
