Stricter advertising rules for next general election

Space on ballot papers for voters to mark their choice will also be larger

- Agqil Hamzah

When the next general election is called, the Returning Officer will be able to direct individuals and social media firms to remove online election advertising that breaches election rules.

This could also mean disabling access to such ads for users in Singapore, as well as stopping any further transmission of the materials here.

The Returning Officer is a public officer appointed by the prime minister to oversee the impartial and smooth conduct of elections.

As part of updates announced by the Elections Department (ELD) on May 31, there will also be a larger area demarcated on the ballot paper to mark a voter's choice.

This follows feedback from the presidential election that some people were unsure if they had properly positioned the stamp within the area.

The updates will come into effect on June 14 with revisions made to the Subsidiary Legislation under the Parliamentary Elections Act, which was updated in 2023.

ELD said the changes are needed "to operationalise these amendments", in order to be aligned with the requirements set out during the 2023 Presidential Election.

For starters, election advertising will now be required to display the full name of every person who played an "active role" in publishing or displaying the ad.