We thank Mr Lim Kah Wee and Mr Robert James Craiu for their letters (Look at other ways to vote, May 30; and Voting by mail is possible for S'pore, June 1).

We have not implemented online voting as there is no way to confirm that the vote is cast by the person himself, and not by another person assisting him, even with SingPass.

The system will also need to retain information on the voter's choice, which may compromise voting secrecy.

Similarly, for mail-in votes, we are unable to ascertain whether someone living at the same address has voted for another person in the household, thus compromising the principle of "one man, one vote".

There are also risks with security and secrecy of the vote as the ballot paper may be lost or tampered with during postal delivery.

Please be assured that the health and safety of our voters are of utmost importance.

We will put in place the necessary safety measures, taking into account prevailing public health advisories, if elections are to be held in the midst of Covid-19.

Tay Chai Luan

Senior Assistant Director

Political Donations and Communications

Elections Department