Voters turn up in droves despite morning downpour

Queues form an hour before polling centres open at 8am but voting is a breeze for most

- Akshita Nanda, Elizabeth Law, Shawn Hoo, Teo Kai Xiang and Stacey Ngiam

Wedding planning can be stressful at the best of times, but for bride Aneetha Jeet Kaur Dhillon, things were extra nerve-racking with her May 3 wedding coinciding with Polling Day.

A few of the groomsmen were activated for polling station duties and several guests pulled out because of the clash of events, which meant schedules had to be adjusted and seating plans rearranged, said Ms Dhillon, an accountant.

"I was a little frantic when I found out (about Polling Day) because we've planned this wedding for months, so the news came suddenly," she told The Sunday Times.

"However, we managed to pull through despite a few inevitable hiccups here and there."

After saying "I do" at the Calvary Pandan Bible Presbyterian Church, Ms Dhillon and her husband Sherman Ding rushed off to cast their votes, still dressed in their wedding finery.

They were assigned different polling centres, according to their registered addresses.

After a lunch reception at the church in Pandan Gardens, Ms Dhillon went to Block 460 Jurong West Street 41.

A friend held up the long train of her dress, which weighed 12kg, as she dashed across the void deck, attracting curious stares and smiles at the polling centre in Jurong Central.

Immediately after casting her vote, Ms Dhillon was off again, this time to be reunited with her husband for their rescheduled wedding photo shoot.

Some of Singapore's 2.6 million voters got a rainy start at the polls on May 3, with many braving the early morning torrential downpour to cast their votes amid flash-flood warnings in several areas.