Can convicts vote?
By Kumaresan Sukumar
my paper
Friday, Oct 12, 2012
According to Singapore law, convicts do not have the right to vote during elections.
The Parliamentary Elections Act states that no person shall be entitled to have his name entered or retained in any register of electors if he is serving a sentence of imprisonment imposed by any court in or outside of Singapore for an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term exceeding 12 months.
A person who is under sentence of death imposed by any such court, or is serving a sentence of imprisonment awarded in lieu of execution of any such sentence, is also not entitled to have his name entered or retained in any register of electors.
The website of the Elections Department of Singapore states that the register of electors is a list of all qualified electors belonging to the electoral division, and that only people who have their names in the certified register of electors will be allowed to vote on Polling Day.
Other situations which result in non-inclusion in the register of electors cover engagement in acts incompatible with being a Singapore citizen, such as acquiring citizenship of another country, or being of unsound mind.
Resources that specifically mention missing persons, political exiles and such are lacking.
However, one may assume that as long as a situation results in a person's name being removed from the electoral register - such as a being a no-show on Polling Day and not applying to have one's name restored - the person will not be able to vote on the subsequent Polling Day.
Please note that the above information does not constitute legal advice.
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