I have extracted from one blog singaporegovt.blogspot.com on the detail process of counting votes.
This is a very detailed description of what a counting agent will see in counting centre.
Secrecy of Votes
11 May 2006, Lynn Lee from the Straits Times wrote an interesting article on “How your vote is kept secret”. The article is quite comprehensive and accurate, but maybe just to add to her good works, I’ll add in my some of my experiences as an independent counting agent.
On the casting of votes, she wrote, “Constituencies are carved up into several polling districts. There is one polling station per district. Each station handles around 2,000 to 4,000 voters. Each voter is assigned to a specific polling lane with a ballot box at the end of it. In each lane, a voter's name and registration number are called out as he receives the ballot slip. This allows the polling agents sent there by the contesting parties to confirm that he is on the list of eligible voters. At 8pm, when polling ends, each ballot box, which can contain around 1,000 votes, is sealed. Usually, ballots from four to six districts are counted in one centre.”
How do parties gauge what kind of support they get in a constituency?
The counting procedure is a mystery to many but I’ll try to give you a better view from “inside”. After 8pm, the ballot boxes are sealed in front of both the PAP and Opposition representatives. The boxes will arrive at their respective counting stations. Each counting station (eg: St Andrew’s Secondary) has several counting tables (between 3 to 6 tables) from the district. When the boxes arrived, it will be placed on the counting tables for both PAP and the Opposition member representatives (known as the “Counting Agent”) to examine the sticker seal of the Returning Officer. If the seal is torn or tampered, an inquiry will look into it. In the presence of both parties, the boxes will be opened and the votes will be poured on the table. Each table has around 5 to 6 boxes or around 5000 to 6000 votes. The votes will then be mixed around the table (aka rojaked), then subsequently arranged into orderly stacks. From each stack, the counters will place the votes in either the PAP’s or the Opposition’s tray. Counting agents from the parties are not allowed to touch the votes. For the ambiguous or rejected votes, it will be adjudicated by the Senior Presiding Officer in the presences of the Opposition and PAP representatives.
After the votes have been separated into the trays, the counting agents from PAP and Opposition can roughly gauge the results. The votes in the trays are later bundled into stacks of 100 and tied with rubber band. After the first around of counts have been made, the counters (from the same table) will swap position to recount the votes again. Depending on the Senior Presiding Officer, the votes might be counted 3-5 times. Once the votes are verified after many rounds of counting, the result of the individual counting table will be announced to the both parties’ counting agents. Each counting table is denoted by a district code (eg: AM-21 or SB-67). These district codes are available in the Register of Electors. Each district code roughly represents 10 to 12 blocks in the constituency. Based on the information from the counting agent, the parties can gauge the support from the areas.
The results are faxed over to the Election Department. If there is confirmation of no votes recount, the boxes will be sealed in front of the PAP and Opposition’s counting agents. The votes will then be transported and stored in a vault of the High Court. Only a High Court judge can order the boxes to be opened. After six months, the parties are invited to witness the journey of the boxes to the Tuas incinerator.
Many Opposition candidates such as Steve Chia and Chia Ti Lik have spoken about their confidence in the secrecy of votes. Due to the numerous times of randomizing and mixing the votes, it is virtually impossible to pin-point an individual’s vote.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Friday, May 12, 2006
Your vote is secret!
I read in the news that many voters are concern if their vote is secret. As a counting agent, I participated in the counting process I can tell everbody that vote is indeed secret.
Anyway, The Stratis Times took the effort to write an article on this issue.
The Straits Times
May 11, 2006
POLLING SYSTEM
How your vote is kept secret
Elections Dept explains the system and reason for serial number on ballot slip
By Lynn Lee
THE Elections Department is saying it again - your vote is secret.
The assurance comes after some Singaporeans raised perennial concerns over the serial number on their ballot paper when they voted last Saturday.
Others were also troubled by accounts from MPs-elect on how they can gauge which areas within their constituency supported them.
But as the Elections Department made clear yesterday, the polling and vote-counting procedures in the recent and past elections do safeguard the identity of individual voters.
For a start, it explained how the polling system works. Constituencies are carved up into several polling districts. There is one polling station per district.
Each station handles around 2,000 to 4,000 voters. Each voter is assigned to a specific polling lane with a ballot box at the end of it.
In each lane, a voter's name and registration number are called out as he receives the ballot slip. This allows the polling agents sent there by the contesting parties to confirm that he is on the list of eligible voters.
The department also made clear why a voter's registration number is written on the counterfoil of the ballot paper. This deters vote fraud and impersonation.
In letters to The Straits Times Forum page, six readers asked about the serial numbers on the ballot paper and the registration number on the counterfoil. Two of them said their relatives did not vote for the opposition because of the serial numbers.
In replying, the department's spokesman explained that the serial numbers were used to ensure that the final number of ballots cast is equivalent to the number of ballot papers issued. This prevents any incidence of ballot boxes being 'stuffed' with counterfeit ballot slips.
This is how the counting procedure goes: At 8pm, when polling ends, each ballot box, which can contain around 1,000 votes, is sealed. Usually, ballots from four to six districts are counted in one centre.
There, counting tables will be set up. At each table, ballots from all the boxes used at each polling station are mixed up, then sorted by party, before being counted. No one except counting officials can touch the slips.
Which begs the question: How do parties gauge what kind of support they get in a constituency?
The answer: It all boils down to how observant the polling agent is. At each centre, he can tell if the districts represented there are giving his party more, or less votes.
This is how the PAP knew in the 2001 General Election, for example, that over half of voters from Sennett Estate within opposition-held Potong Pasir were supportive of it and decided to give it upgrading.
After votes are counted, the ballots at each table are put back into one box together with the counterfoils. The boxes are then sealed and stored in a vault in the High Court. Only a High Court judge can order the boxes to be opened.
After six months, the parties are invited to witness the journey of the boxes to the Tuas incinerator.
Workers' Party candidate Chia Ti Lik, whose team of five lost the fight for East Coast GRC, affirmed the Elections Department's explanation: 'As someone who's observed the process, I'm 100 per cent confident that no one can tell for sure how a person has voted.'
To boost public confidence, Singapore Management University law lecturer Eugene Tan suggested that all votes from a constituency be counted in one centre.
Currently, votes for each constituency are counted at different centres, which then fax their tallies to the principal counting centre for the constituency and the Elections Department.
Dr Tan also urged officials to continue to address 'nagging concerns and untruths' that Singaporeans may have over voting, as it was 'part and parcel of protecting the integrity of the electoral process'.
Anyway, The Stratis Times took the effort to write an article on this issue.
The Straits Times
May 11, 2006
POLLING SYSTEM
How your vote is kept secret
Elections Dept explains the system and reason for serial number on ballot slip
By Lynn Lee
THE Elections Department is saying it again - your vote is secret.
The assurance comes after some Singaporeans raised perennial concerns over the serial number on their ballot paper when they voted last Saturday.
Others were also troubled by accounts from MPs-elect on how they can gauge which areas within their constituency supported them.
But as the Elections Department made clear yesterday, the polling and vote-counting procedures in the recent and past elections do safeguard the identity of individual voters.
For a start, it explained how the polling system works. Constituencies are carved up into several polling districts. There is one polling station per district.
Each station handles around 2,000 to 4,000 voters. Each voter is assigned to a specific polling lane with a ballot box at the end of it.
In each lane, a voter's name and registration number are called out as he receives the ballot slip. This allows the polling agents sent there by the contesting parties to confirm that he is on the list of eligible voters.
The department also made clear why a voter's registration number is written on the counterfoil of the ballot paper. This deters vote fraud and impersonation.
In letters to The Straits Times Forum page, six readers asked about the serial numbers on the ballot paper and the registration number on the counterfoil. Two of them said their relatives did not vote for the opposition because of the serial numbers.
In replying, the department's spokesman explained that the serial numbers were used to ensure that the final number of ballots cast is equivalent to the number of ballot papers issued. This prevents any incidence of ballot boxes being 'stuffed' with counterfeit ballot slips.
This is how the counting procedure goes: At 8pm, when polling ends, each ballot box, which can contain around 1,000 votes, is sealed. Usually, ballots from four to six districts are counted in one centre.
There, counting tables will be set up. At each table, ballots from all the boxes used at each polling station are mixed up, then sorted by party, before being counted. No one except counting officials can touch the slips.
Which begs the question: How do parties gauge what kind of support they get in a constituency?
The answer: It all boils down to how observant the polling agent is. At each centre, he can tell if the districts represented there are giving his party more, or less votes.
This is how the PAP knew in the 2001 General Election, for example, that over half of voters from Sennett Estate within opposition-held Potong Pasir were supportive of it and decided to give it upgrading.
After votes are counted, the ballots at each table are put back into one box together with the counterfoils. The boxes are then sealed and stored in a vault in the High Court. Only a High Court judge can order the boxes to be opened.
After six months, the parties are invited to witness the journey of the boxes to the Tuas incinerator.
Workers' Party candidate Chia Ti Lik, whose team of five lost the fight for East Coast GRC, affirmed the Elections Department's explanation: 'As someone who's observed the process, I'm 100 per cent confident that no one can tell for sure how a person has voted.'
To boost public confidence, Singapore Management University law lecturer Eugene Tan suggested that all votes from a constituency be counted in one centre.
Currently, votes for each constituency are counted at different centres, which then fax their tallies to the principal counting centre for the constituency and the Elections Department.
Dr Tan also urged officials to continue to address 'nagging concerns and untruths' that Singaporeans may have over voting, as it was 'part and parcel of protecting the integrity of the electoral process'.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
2 days left for campaigning
I am busy since 27 April 2006, everyday helping campaigning for the General Election. Basically, I am on the ground and not able to online at any moment.
2 days left for campaigning, and yesterday was the deadline for submitting counting agents to the Election Office. I am one of the appointed counting agents. Hence, I will be at the counting centre to observe the counting process. As a counting agent, we have 2 forms, one is Form 18 (FORM OF OATH OF SECRECY) and the other is APPOINTMENT OF COUNTING AGENT form. Everything we see is secret! example "communicate any information ....." .
Hence, voters should have confidence on our Election Process.
I have to go now, continue if i can ....
2 days left for campaigning, and yesterday was the deadline for submitting counting agents to the Election Office. I am one of the appointed counting agents. Hence, I will be at the counting centre to observe the counting process. As a counting agent, we have 2 forms, one is Form 18 (FORM OF OATH OF SECRECY) and the other is APPOINTMENT OF COUNTING AGENT form. Everything we see is secret! example "communicate any information ....." .
Hence, voters should have confidence on our Election Process.
I have to go now, continue if i can ....
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Finally Singapore Parlimentary Elections is here.
Finally, after so much of preparation the big day has been confirmed.
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