Election Department Error Sends Erroneous Emails to Overseas Singaporeans

About 6,500 Singaporeans living overseas were recently caught off guard when they received an inaccurate email from the Elections Department (ELD) on May 24. The email falsely notified recipients that their application to register as overseas electors had been approved, a mistake attributed to a programming glitch, as per an ELD spokesperson.

The glitch led to the dissemination of emails to individuals who had previously applied to become overseas electors, creating a momentary confusion. Fortunately, the Elections Department promptly rectified the error and assured that no data was compromised. The affected overseas Singaporeans were promptly notified to disregard the misleading email.

It is essential to note that Singapore citizens residing abroad have the option to apply to register as overseas electors throughout the year, offering them a chance to participate in the electoral process from their foreign locations.

Recently, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong directed a revision of the Registers of Electors, containing the names of all eligible Singapore citizens as of June 1, before July 31. This move precedes an upcoming general election that must be held no later than November 2025, underscoring the significance of accurate electoral registers.

Past incidents related to voting processes in Singapore include a notable occurrence in 2020 when some voters were disenfranchised due to a system glitch within the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Similarly, in 2023, over a thousand residents received duplicate poll cards ahead of the presidential election due to a printer’s error, highlighting the importance of robust systems in the electoral process.