Singaporeans Will Go to the Polls on May 3; Nomination Day on April 23

Nation's 14th election since independence will see PAP contest all 97 seats in 33 constituencies, and likely be challenged for all of them

- Linette Lai

On May 3, Singaporeans will cast their votes in a general election that will be fought against a backdrop of unprecedented global economic instability.

The date of the election — Mr Lawrence Wong's first as prime minister and secretary-general of the ruling PAP — was announced on April 15. It came an hour after President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, dissolved Singapore's 14th Parliament and later issued the Writ of Election.

Nomination Day will be on April 23, giving candidates the minimum nine days of campaigning before Cooling-off Day on May 2. The deposit they have to pay remains unchanged from the 2020 General Election, at $13,500.

The election has been called so Singaporeans can decide on the team to lead the nation, at a time when the world is undergoing profound changes, PM Wong said in a social media post after the writ was issued.

He added: "The global conditions that enabled Singapore's success over the past decades may no longer hold."

The Returning Officer for this election is Mr Han Kok Juan, director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. There will be nine nomination centres.

The Elections Department released a seven-page statement reminding candidates to abide by laws on campaigning during the hustings, and to guard against foreign interference.

"The outcome of Singapore's elections must be for Singaporeans alone to decide," it said. "As such, candidates must play their part to mitigate the risk of becoming vectors or victims of foreign interference."

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore also warned people to stay alert for cyber threats, such as phishing attempts and fake social media accounts spreading misinformation.

Singapore's 14th election since independence will see the PAP contest all 97 seats in 33 constituencies — 18 group representation constituencies and 15 single seats — and likely be challenged for all of them.