Singapore will head to the polls on 3 May 2025, following the dissolution of Parliament and issuance of the Writ of Election by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam on 15 April.
The Elections Department (ELD) announced that Polling Day will be a public holiday. Employers must allow voters reasonable time to cast their votes, according to the Ministry of Manpower. Employees who do not work on 3 May must still receive a day off or salary in lieu.
Nomination Day is scheduled for 23 April. The official campaigning period starts after the close of nomination proceedings and ends with Cooling-off Day on 2 May.
Election deposits remain at S$13,500 per candidate, identical to the 2020 General Election.
This sum mirrors the fixed monthly allowance for a Member of Parliament, rounded to the nearest S$500. Deposits will be forfeited for candidates who fail to secure at least 12.5% of the votes.
Candidates are encouraged to pay deposits early via PayNow, bank transfer or cheque. Nomination submissions must include a proposer, a seconder, and at least four assenters.
Political donation certificates must be obtained from the Registrar of Political Donations by 19 April.
Group Representation Constituency (GRC) applicants must also secure community certificates from the relevant minority committees by the same deadline.
Campaigning expenditure is capped at S$5 per elector in a division. For GRCs, the total amount is divided among the team members.
Only Singapore citizens aged 21 and above or registered Singapore entities can make political donations, including voluntary labour.
New law bans deepfakes and manipulated online content to protect candidate integrity
The newly enacted Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) Act will apply during GE2025. It prohibits the publication of digitally generated or manipulated content—including AI-generated deepfakes—that misrepresent a candidate’s speech or actions.
This law covers both favourable and unfavourable portrayals. It applies from the Writ’s issuance until the end of nomination proceedings for those who have paid their deposits and consented to public listing on ELD’s website.
All online election advertisements (OEA), whether paid or unpaid, must display the names of those involved in their publication, including those who approved and directed the content.
Paid advertisements must also declare sponsorship details.
Only political parties, candidates and their agents may publish paid OEA. Others require written authorisation from a candidate or election agent.
Singapore citizens may publish unpaid OEA independently.
However, republishing or boosting content on Cooling-off Day or Polling Day is banned—even if the material was previously lawful.
Foreigners and foreign entities are prohibited from participating in election activities or publishing OEA at any point in the election period.
Restrictions on banners, posters and flags before campaign period
From 15 April until the end of nomination proceedings, new banners, posters and flags considered to be Traditional Election Advertising (TEA) cannot be displayed.
Existing displays may remain if they were put up lawfully before the Writ was issued, remain unaltered, and are declared to the Returning Officer within 12 hours.
Permanent signage indicating party offices is allowed if affixed to party-owned buildings or their boundaries. These displays must solely indicate office location or party-related business.
To enforce these regulations, the Returning Officer has authorised Aetos Security Management to act.
Non-compliant displays must be removed within three hours of notice. Removal costs will be borne by the candidate and included in campaign expenses.
Walkabouts and house visits are permitted without police permits, provided they are not used to publicly support or oppose individuals, causes or government policies.
Films used in campaigning must be factual and non-dramatised under Films Act rules
Candidates must also comply with the Films Act 1981, which bans the production, distribution or exhibition of party political films.
Exceptions are allowed for factual, objective content without animation or dramatisation—such as recordings of manifestos or lawful community events.
Political parties and candidates are advised to consult the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) if uncertain about film content.
Publishing results of election surveys or exit polls is banned from the issuance of the Writ to the close of polling.
This includes informal polls conducted via social media, forums, or messaging platforms. Reposting such material is also prohibited.
The ELD emphasised that only Singaporeans can participate in campaigning.
Those under 16, subject to criminal supervision orders, or non-citizens may not partake in any election-related activity.
ELD: Responsible conduct required during campaigning
Candidates and campaigners must also avoid negative campaigning, refrain from making false accusations, and not incite racial or religious tensions.
The integrity and dignity of the electoral process must be upheld.
Any individual or organisation acting on behalf of a candidate must be explicitly authorised in writing.
Civic and professional groups must ensure their constitutions permit political participation and must comply with all applicable laws.
For GE2025, 18 GRCs and 15 SMCs will be contested, up from 17 GRCs and 14 SMCs in 2020. The total number of elected Members of Parliament will increase from 93 to 97.
Prospective candidates and voters are encouraged to visit eld.gov.sg for the latest information, including daily updates on declared candidates and permissible activities.
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