Online voting not feasible due to 'voter impersonation' risks: ELD

Online voting will not be implemented in GE2025 due to risks such as impersonation and possible breach of voter secrecy, said the Elections Department (ELD) on Thursday (April 3).

This is because online systems have to retain information on the voter's identity and choice to ensure that online votes are accurately recorded and can be verified through audits. Hence voter secrecy might be compromised.

The ELD was responding to two letters published in The Straits Times forum page on April 1 regarding the voting process for overseas Singaporeans.

In one letter, the writer suggested that ELD must enable voting through "the Singpass application or another secure digital platform" for Singaporeans who are travelling during the general election.

In another forum letter, ELD was urged to make the voting process "easier" and to "not create extra and unnecessary hurdles" for Singaporean voters living overseas.

In their forum reply published on Thursday, Bey Mui Leng, director of media and communications at ELD, said voting by paper ballot will continue as it remains the most transparent and secure method of voting.

Bey added that postal voting was introduced during the 2023 Presidential Election to improve voter access for overseas Singaporeans.

This service will be implemented in GE2025, in addition to the 10 overseas polling stations in its designated countries.

ELD advised Singaporeans who intend to vote to register as overseas voters early if they have not already done so.

Applications to be registered as overseas voters will close at the end of the second day after the Writ of Election is issued. Eligible overseas Singaporeans may register on the ELD website.

Speaking on the Parliamentary Elections (Covid-19 Special Arrangements) Bill in Parliament in 2020, the then-Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said that it is difficult to determine if the vote is cast by the person themselves or by another person assisting them even if Singpass is used.

He added that online voting systems may have reliability issues and security risks, such as being susceptible to hacking and cyber attacks.

liv.roberts@asiaone.com

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