POSTED: 31 Aug 2013 7:02 AM
SINGAPORE: The Elections Department has lodged a police report
after it received an email from a member of the public on Tuesday
that some ballot boxes were found.
Issuing a statement close to midnight on Friday, the Elections
Department nevertheless stressed that the discovery of used empty
ballot boxes has "no implications on the secrecy of the vote and
electoral process".
While it did not say which elections the discovered ballot boxes
were used for, the Elections Department explained that empty ballot
boxes are to be discarded after the elections.
"They are supposed to have been collected by the Elections
Department's contractor, along with other discarded items, from the
counting centres for general disposal," it said.
The discovery of used empty ballot boxes would mean that "these
were missed by the contractor at the point of collection for
disposal".
In response to media queries, the police confirmed a report was
lodged. It said: "The persons interviewed by the police have told
the police that the ballot boxes were empty when they found them,
with no ballot papers inside. Preliminary investigations indicate
that these were empty boxes left behind in the counting centre
intended to be disposed of." The police said investigations are
ongoing, "including confirming what has been uncovered thus far".
It said it will address the Attorney-General's Chambers on the case
upon completion of investigations.
Detailing how ballot boxes are used during elections, the
Elections Department said that they are inspected by election
officials at the polling stations before they are used for the
casting of ballots. They then remain under the charge of the
election officials until they are emptied at the counting
centres.
After the polls have closed, election officials at the polling
stations seal the ballot boxes containing the ballot papers which
have been cast, and transport the sealed ballot boxes under police
escort to the counting centres.
At the counting centres, the ballot boxes are opened, and the
ballot papers are poured out, sorted and counted. The entire
process is carried out in the presence of candidates or their
counting agents. The empty ballot boxes are put aside to be
collected by the Elections Department's contractor and disposed of.
After the election result has been announced by the Returning
Officer, the ballot papers and other documents used in the election
are placed into separate boxes and sealed. They are then conveyed
by police escort and retained in safe custody for six months at the
Supreme Court.
"After six months, the ballot boxes are destroyed, unless
directed by order of the President. The process is open to
observation by all candidates and their agents. This rigorous
process ensures secrecy of the vote," the Elections Department
said.
-TODAY
The Elections Department (ELD) has lodged a police
report after they were notified that some empty election ballot
boxes have been found.
A member of the public alerted them to this via email on
Tuesday.
According to socio-political site TR Emeritus (TRE), they seem to be ballot boxes
from the Presidential Election two years ago, and appear to have
come from the Electoral Division of Bishan-Toa Payoh and from 2
polling stations: Guangyang Secondary School and HDB Block 113 Void
Deck.
In a statement issued on Friday, the ELD stressed that the
discovery of the boxes have “no implications on the secrecy of the
vote and electoral process”.
“They are supposed to have been collected by the Elections
Department’s contractor, along with other discarded items, from the
counting centres for general disposal,” the statement said.
“Discovery of used empty ballot boxes would mean that these were
missed by the contractor at the point of collection for disposal,”
it added.
In a separate statement, the police confirmed that a report on
the matter has been lodged.
“The persons interviewed by the police have told the police that
the ballot boxes were empty when they found them, with no ballot
papers inside. Preliminary investigations indicate that these were
empty boxes left behind in the counting centre intended to be
disposed of,” it said.
It added that investigations are still ongoing, “including
confirming what has been uncovered thus far, and the
Attorney-General’s Chambers will be addressed upon completion of
investigations”.
