Overseas votes for Punggol-East by-election counted
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Counting agents unseal the ballot boxes for the counting of overseas votes for the By-Election for Punggol East Constituency on Wednesday afternoon at 3pm, at North Vista Secondary School, and witnessed by (2nd from right) Workers' Party MP-elect Lee Li Lian and (3rd from right) Returning Officer Mr Yam Ah Mee. -- ST PHOTO: SEAH KWANG PENG
Less than half of the overseas Singaporeans who were registered to vote at the Punggol East by-election cast their votes.
There were 59 overseas Punggol East voters registered, but only 27 turned up to cast their votes at the nine overseas polling stations last Saturday. The overseas votes were flown back to Singapore and counted by Elections Department on Wednesday.
Of the 27 votes, 19 went to the People's Action Party and seven to the Workers' Party. There was one spoilt vote.
The overseas tally did not affect the outcome of the by-election, which saw the Workers' Party candidate Lee Li Lian winning the four-way race. Singapore has allowed overseas voting since the May 2006 General Election.
