http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/10/14/do-not-be-intimidated-on-election-day/
The recent calls for more opposition MPs to form the next
government in Singapore are heartening. However, the issue of
intimidation at polling centres remains an obstacle towards such an
undertaking
Knowledge is power, and it is important for first-time voters
especially to know what awaits them at the polling centre so that
they may prepare themselves mentally and vote according to their
wishes, whether it is for the ruling party or the opposition.
After the last Parliamentary Elections in 2006, there was a
deluge of letters to newspapers from voters who complained of being
intimidated at the polling centres. I believe that one person
complained that when he asked why his ballot slip’s serial number
was being written down, the only reason given by the registration
officer was that they were simply instructed to do so.
I have voted twice as a resident of Joo Chiat Single Member
Constituency, once at Siglap Community Centre and again at Victoria
Junior College. I remember being very nervous as a virgin voter and
can barely recall my initial experience apart from the fact that I
was frightened into voting differently from my original
intentions.
As such, I will only describe the setup and processes at the
polling centre in Victoria Junior College for the benefit of my
fellow citizens although one can reasonably expect these to be
consistent across all polling centres.
As these are from memory, and no one wants to hang around the
polling centre mapping the place, I apologize in advance for any
discrepancies that are presented here.
Figure 1 is an example of what the polling centre looked like,
with the circles behind the tables representing the registration
officers there.
The first level of intimidation comes as you approach the tables
for your attendance to be taken. Registration is necessary since
voting is mandatory by law in Singapore. The strange thing that
happened here was that although I had gone to the table on the
right, the staff there had to shout out my name and identity card
number to the people on the left. In this way, for some unknown
reason your presence is announced to everyone present.
Next, the registration officers will write down the serial
number on your ballot slip beside your name on their attendance
sheet. This is indeed a very strange thing to do amid claims of
ballot secrecy since it means that your vote can be linked back to
you very easily!
Regarding the issue of privacy, one must remember that the
Singapore government rejected the suggestion by the Bioethics
Advisory Committee in 2006 to irreversibly de-identify medical
information of medical research participants. In other words, the
present situation in Singapore is that although personal
identifiers (e.g., name, address etc.) and medical diagnoses are
split into two databases, the de-identified information is
ultimately reversible.
Although it may be unfair to link these two issues together, one
cannot deny that the prudent thing to do would be to just do away
with the serial numbers altogether. After all, they are not
necessary to prove that you have done your duty as a citizen to
vote.
The next area of intimidation is the physical space within which
you write your vote. Figure 1 presents a top-down view of the booth
that you are provided with. Diagonal partitions split it into four
parts with each section having a small triangular table.
Although I can only speak for myself, I have never felt that the
partitions on both sides of the writing booth to be sufficient in
ensuring the privacy of my vote as they do not extend far enough
from the table. In addition, there are certain booths that are also
completely within the line-of-sight of the registration staff as is
evident from the diagram.
In fact, even though Part III of the Parliamentary Elections Act
states that “no person shall loiter in any street or public place
within a radius of 200 metres of any polling station on polling
day” (http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_retrieve.pl?actno=REVED-218),
I remember being able to make eye-contact with some people who were
sitting perhaps just ten metres behind the table on the right as I
marked my ballot.
As these people were seated outside the barrier surrounding the
area in Figure 1 and not participating in the process itself, I
cannot imagine why they were allowed to be within sight of the
voting booths.
The final act of intimidation comes when it is time for you to
deposit your ballot slip into the ballot box. As Figure 1 shows,
the box is placed between the booths and the registration officers.
In this case, even though you have to fold your ballot slip in half
before dropping it in the box, the paper is thin enough for those
present to “see” how you voted.
A better layout would be that which is utilized in Japan. There,
the registration area is in a separate room from the voting booths
and ballot box. Although I am not insinuating that anybody is
trying to discern your vote, every step should be taken to prevent
your choice from accidently being seen by the officers in the
polling station.
Voting is a solemn affair that one needs to undertake with due
consideration. It is hoped that, empowered with greater
understanding of what awaits them at the polling station, citizens
and especially first-time voters will be able do so in accordance
to their conscience as well.
J Tan
