Tag: voting

Art Fazil: Really Lah Your Vote Is Secret! Really Really Secret!

Your Vote Is Secret. Is it?

1. In GE 2011 I volunteered to be the counting agent for SDP. I was assigned to Woodgrove Primary School Counting Centre.

2. I did so not because I was an SDP member but I volunteered because they needed people to help to observe the counting.

3. The job to count the votes are done by counting officers. They are mostly civil service people who kena arrow to do the job.

4. The job as counting agent was to observe that each ballot paper was accounted for i.e. that every single ballot paper with the correctly marked space are all accounted for. In this case, it was for the SDP. The PAP counting agent would do the same.

5. I also learned the process of how voting is conducted and to see if it really was a secret as it has always been said.

6. This is what happened to your ballot papers:

7. You come to the registration centre with your IC

8. The polling agent will then check your name/IC number against the ballot paper.

9. Your ballot paper has a serial number BUT not your IC number.

10. Repeat: Your ballot paper has a serial number BUT not your IC number.

11. The serial number is necessary so that the political parties do not go and suka-suka print extra ballot paper for themselves.

12. Even your 4D tickets got serial number.

13. Once it all tallies, the ballot paper is given to you. You then walk to the counter with the partitions to mark X on the political party of your choice. Once completed you fold it in half.

14. You then walk to the ballot box and put the ballot paper into the box.

15. After voting time is over, all the ballot boxes will be brought to the counting centre.

16. The police will escort all ballot boxes from various polling stations to the counting centre.

17. They will then begin to pour all the ballot papers onto the tables for counting.

18. The counting process is like this- they manually sort out which X was marked against which party’s logo. It’s that primitive.

19. Each party gets a pile each on the table. If there are two parties, there will be two piles.

20. We can see the ballot papers and we can check which ballot paper was marked X to which party.

21. So sometimes, if a ballot paper is not clearly marked, each party’s
counting agent can argue if the X was clearly for his party or if it was a spoilt vote.

22. So please do not spoil your vote. Its leceh for the counting agents to argue on a half-fuck scrawl by a zombie kampung pisang.

23. Repeat : Please do not spoil your vote. The politicians, MPs or ministers don’t get to see your scrawl. if you want to protest against the government, please vote the other party, not the picture with the lightning.

24. Ok once the counting is done, and we know who won the election, all the ballot papers, both the pro-PAP and Opposition will be put inside boxes.

25. No one has the time to look through each ballot paper individually to see who voted for who. It would be almost midnight by then and everyone especially the polling agents, counting officers and counting agents would be tired as hell.

26. So please do not imagine that someone is out there to check your ballot papers and to see if you had voted for a monkey or a rat’s ass. You are not that important.

27. Once the ballot papers are put in the boxes, the boxes would in turn be sealed.

28. This whole process is meticulously done and is observed by both party members.

29. The representative of each party will then sign on the seal of the boxes.

30. This ensures that no one can open these boxes at any time, not the PAP, the government, the Opposition, not King Kong, not even Ah Kong LKY. These boxes are then stored for 6 months in a vault where no one can open unless there is a court order. It only happens if a political party is not happy with the results and wants a recount.

31. This, thankfully has never happened in Singapore since elections began.

32. After 6 months, the boxes are then taken out of the safety vault. I said the boxes- not the ballot papers! Faham? Kapisch? Eh Hiao, Bo?

33. Each representative of the political parties will then check each box to ensure no seal on the boxes have been tampered with. That means no one came in the middle of the night to open the sealed boxes to check individual ballot papers of your auntie or my uncle and if they had voted for the Opposition.

34. Once all the representatives are satisfied that there was no tampering of the sealed boxes, they will then destroy the boxes in the furnace. Poof!

35. That is the end of the life of your ballot paper.

36. The moral of the story is no one can check on who you voted for. Your vote is absolutely secret. No shit about that.

37. The only way for people to know who you voted for is if you put it up on your Facebook status.

38. Repeat: Your vote is secret.

39. Now go tell your mother, aunties and grannies about this.

40. I know so cause I was a counting agent in GE2011.

Yours Truly,

Art Fazil

The End.

Source: Rilek Brader

September 11, 2015
Polling Day: DOs And DON’Ts

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, the Old and the Young, the Retired and the Unemployed, Virgins and Veterans (voters), Smart and Stupid people, alike…

The Singapore General Elections is upon us.

***

Earlier we released a friendly-seriously reminder about Nomination Day Behaviour. Now we present you a seriously-friendly list on Polling Day Etiquette.

Trust us, in this social-media-trigger-happy day and age, some of you are going to need some pointers.

Here are some Dos and Don’ts for 11 SEPTEMBER 2015

SELFIES

We don’t think it’s been banned (yet) but it is discouraged – inside the polling station.

WHY?

It’s not just that your vote is sacred, and the ballot is a secret, yada yada, that we should collectively help to maintain that. It is also illegal to reveal how someone else has voted; a sloppy selfie might lead to that. Plus there are voters and volunteers identity we need to respect… Basically, there’s a potential breach of the law written on the wall, regardless of your intentions. and since this is a seriously friendly list, we just want to do our civic duty and join in the discouragement of SELFIES (and yes, that includes, wefies, and groupies, etc.

Do: If you must, take pics / tweet / be on your smart device outside the polling station before or after you vote.

Don’t: Take pics / tweet / be on your smart device in the Polling Centre.

SOCIAL-MEDIA-ING

Same as above. Keep all these real-time updates and LIVE-blogging you’re bursting to document, to yourself, at least until you’re outside the polling station.

In most countries, it is considered a criminal act to communicate information about the way someone has voted or is about to vote, and specifically to “directly or indirectly induce a voter to display his ballot paper after he has marked it so as to make known to any person the name of the candidate for whom he has or has not voted”.

Don’t anyhow post

Do post responsibly

CHOICE OF CLOTHING

WHY?

Cos it’s not a red carpet and you’re not Bard Pitt, agree? Not only that, voters in inappropriate clothing, like shirts carrying political slogans / tag-lines for example, may be considered intimidating, and disallowed.Voters in hoodies, hats, sunglasses, and capes, headphones, (what, you don’t wear a cape from time to time?)please reconsider. Polling officers need to be able to see your face. This prevents cases of fraud, impersonation, etc.Voters in high-heels, and other uncomfortable footwear,we have two words: your problem. note there might be walking across the school lawns, etc.Voters planning to go topless, send us an image and let’s reassess if the public needs to see that.Don’t: Dress Inappropriately- – you might get stomped! 🙂Do: Dress normally and comfortably – you might get stomped! 🙂

KIDS & FUR-KIDS

First, let’s altogether say: “Awww”

WHY?

Let’s agree, we should not let our kids or pets disrupt the voting process. (folks with guide-dogs please obviously take them.)

If you have a wee-one that needs attention:

Do make arrangements. Perhaps take turns with your spouse, or arrange for a babysitter, instead of getting to the Polling station altogether, only to realise there is a queue, and you have to stand in the sun perhaps, and other unforeseen logistical nightmares that can mess with your voting Zen.

While there may be no other regulations on other animals such as your pet iguana, fish, or your favourite stuffed toy, decisions will be at the discretion of presiding officers, who are likely volunteers and cannot be assumed to be experienced babysitters or animal-lovers, let alone non-allergic, so best not try your luck.

Of course, some of you might want to bring your kids along, to show them how it is done. We hope they are generally welcome, but that will be down to the discretion / prevailing laws. – In any case, if that is the case, by all means go ahead, but please don’t let your child mark the X- it’s your vote after all.

SPECULATION

Do read up on your candidates, constituency beforehand, and form a decision.

Don’t expect a show (or worse, put up one) say start or engage in discussion the merits of different candidates or parties – as it may unsettle other voters.

Don’t ask someone about where there vote is going as this will break the secrecy of the poll.

Don’t distribute party leaflets or other literature in the polling station.

If you want a friendly discussion / debate, do so outside the polling station

OTHERS

Do remind, prepare, inform, and make arrangements to help e.g. the disabled, the aged, those who might be overseas (and have problem getting time-zones right)

LASTLY…

Do vote wisely

Source: https://forsingapore.wordpress.com

September 8, 2015
Xiaxue’s Running In Next GE And These Are Her Campaign Promises

Next GE I’m gonna be running! When I rule, I promise:

– National minimum wage of $10,000 per month, for everyone! Why stop at $1,250? Cleaning aunties very poor thing, let’s change their lives!

– No such thing as COE. Free car for everyone with a license. Surely driving is a birth right.

– My Government will consist of people who are somehow very smart but also at the same time willing to dedicate their lives to building Singapore with a meagre salary of $3,000 a month. What do you mean if they so talented like they are doctors and lawyers why they don’t work for private sector instead of low paying govt job? Because love for country lah! And a lot of such passionate and super smart people exist! It doesn’t mean it will attract crazy power-hungry and corrupted people to the job. No such thing.

– Free houses for everyone! Not HDBs with their shrinking sizes please… Everyone can have nice landed houses or condos.

– No more foreigners! Existing ones will be sent to etiquette classes so as not to offend Singaporeans. They will not be allowed in the main island after 8pm and will reside in Pulau Hantu.

– MRT will never break down ever again! Yes! I can promise that! And fares will go back to 1998 pricing, never to increase!

– Medical care will be free for all! Everyone can go stay at the biggest suite at Mt E Novena when they sick, your government takes care of you.

– Everyone will be given a gold bar on their birthday.

– All schools will be elite schools, because our children deserve the best. Oh and free university education! Why must pay? Government should pay to educate citizens.

– No more NS!

Sounds good hor? If not enough money to fulfil any of these I will just tax the rich more or take from reserves. Why cannot?

VOTE FOR ME!!

Source: Xiaxue

September 5, 2015
Singaporeans, Don’t Spoil Your Votes, Choose Wisely!

As the various political parties and candidates prepare for their election campaigns, I hope they will focus on issues which are close to the hearts of Singaporeans.

For example, Singaporeans are extremely worried about the rising cost of living, job opportunities, the affordability of public housing and the influx of foreigners who compete with them for jobs and a decent salary.

I hope the candidates will not engage in personal attacks on other candidates, but instead, raise quality issues and policies that they will champion if they are elected into Parliament.

I appeal to my fellow Singaporeans not to spoil their votes but to exercise their rights and responsibility by choosing the most qualified and suitable candidate.

Muhammad Dzul Azhan Haji Sahban

Source: www.straitstimes.com

September 1, 2015
The Fear Perpetuated By The Urban Myth About Voting In Singapore
By Jamal Ismail

At a recent dinner with some friends, I was surprised to hear a friend remark that she had no choice but to vote for the PAP because she is a teacher. On another occasion, I heard a similar remark by an office colleague who is convinced that she must vote for PAP or else her son may not get into the right school, and her application for a new HDB flat will be rejected.

Both assume that their votes are being recorded, and they will be somehow penalized if they don’t cast a vote in favour of the PAP. Surprisingly, these are highly educated people and I realized then that the fear of voting for parties other than PAP is more prevalent than I initially thought.

During the 2011 General Elections, I volunteered as an Election Agent and saw the entire campaigning and voting process from start to finish. Please allow me to share my experience and guide you through the voting system, one step at a time.

Acknowledging the issue

There is a perception among many that the Singapore Government is an all-knowing, vengeful entity. Understandably, these fears are rooted in basic survival issues, concerning their career and daily livelihood ‘bread and butter’ issues like housing, healthcare and their children’s education.

Many Government employees could even relate rumours of some people who had their career destroyed for voting in favour of the Opposition.

Rumours like these have been passed around for so long, it achieved urban myth status; where everyone has heard of them but no one has been able to prove that it exists. A crucial way to overcome the fear is to learn the facts.

Is my vote a secret?

YES, your vote is secret. The plain and simple fact is: No one knows who you voted for, unless you tell them. The proof is in the voting process, and you can read about it on the Singapore Elections Department’s webpage.

Here is the eight-step process that safeguards the secrecy of your vote.
1. The maintenance of secrecy is mandated by law under Section 56 Parliamentary Elections Act, which states that everyone manning the polling or counting centre must maintain and aid in maintaining the secrecy of voting and anyone who contravenes Section 56 will be guilty of a criminal offence.
1. Every voting slip has a serial number that is matched to the Electoral Roll. The purpose of a serial number to ensure that you get only one voting slip. Note that your name is NOT on the voting slip.
1. Each voter has their name and voter number called out for another official to cross out your name from the Electoral Roll, to prevent anyone from voting twice, which would be unfair.
1. Then you go into a private booth and mark the voting slip. After you mark the voting slip, you are required to fold it in half and drop it into the ballot box. As only one person can use the booth each time and your voting slip was folded, no one can see who you voted for.
1. Your voting slip goes into the ballot box along with thousands of others. At 8pm, all the ballot boxes containing the voting slips are sealed. The officials use a serial-numbered tamper-proof sticker, signed off by Opposition and PAP representatives. The sealed ballot boxes are sent to a Counting Centre, guarded by a police officer.
1. At the Counting Centre, the tamper-proof sticker serial numbers are checked by Opposition and PAP representatives. The ballot boxes are then opened and thousands of voting slips are dumped into a big pile on a table. The voting slips are counted, but their serial numbers are NOT RECORDED. This is witnessed and verified by Opposition and PAP representatives.
1. After the voting slips are counted and verified, all the voting slips and count records go back into the ballot boxes and aresealed again with another set of serial-numbered tamper-proof seals. This is again witnessed by Opposition and PAP representatives.
1. The sealed ballot boxes are then transported with police escort and locked in a high-security vault at the Supreme Court. No one can open the vault without a court order, and so far the court has never issued such an order.
1. At the end of 6 months, the same ballot boxes containing the voting slips are burnt. They are transported to the incineration plant under police escort. The Opposition and PAP representatives check and ensure that the same serial numbered tamper-proof seals remain intact, before dumping all the voting slips and records into the incinerator.
The fact remains, your vote is secret. No one can gain access to your voting slip once you have marked it.

Can someone be punished for not voting for PAP?

The plain and simple fact is that no one can be or has been punished for their votes. Who you vote for your RIGHT as a Singapore citizen, and voting is mandatory.
1. No one can force you to vote for anyone, because they would be guilty of Section 59 “Undue Influence” of the Parliamentary Elections Act (Chapter 218).
2. No one can anyone incentivize you to vote for anyone because they would be guilty of Section 60 “Bribery” of the Parliamentary Elections Act (Chapter 218).
To give you a scale of how Singaporeans voted in the last General Elections in 2011, a total of 1.9 million votes were cast. About 40% of the votes were NOT in favour of the PAP.

That means, over 761 THOUSAND people did NOT vote for the PAP.

If the Urban Myth rumours were true, almost half of the population of Singapore would be unemployed, evicted from their HDBs and their children rejected from schools.

When GE2011 ended, Opposition Party candidates and thousands of their supporters like me simply went back to our jobs and families; lead productive lives, working and conducting business as usual. I continued serving my reservist as an officer.

Although many of my friends and I are openly in support of the Opposition for many years, none of us were investigated, arrested or penalized in any way. We did walkabouts, organized and attended Opposition party meetings and rallies, and participated in the democratic process lawfully. So please be assured that you too can do the same without fear of reprisals.

Overcome the fear

Please find out more about our electoral system, read from a wide variety of sources or even participate in election rallies. Some recommended reading and video on this subject are:

Your Vote is Your Voice By Maruah (With Video)

Singapore Elections Department – Ballots Secrecy

Take the opportunity to see for yourself how the voting process is conducted by volunteering to be a Voting or Counting Agent and see for yourself the whole voting and counting process from start to finish.

Your vote is very important. It is your chance to decide on our future. You are not obliged to vote for anyone and no one can force you to choose, even if you are a PA or grassroots member or work in a Government statutory board.

This coming General Elections, please vote without fear.

Source: www.theonlinecitizen.com
August 19, 2015