Singaporeans vote in general election

Singaporeans across the city state went to their designated polling stations on Friday to vote in a general election.

A total of 832 polling stations in Singapore opened from 8 a.m. (0000 GMT) and will close at 8 p.m. (1200 GMT). The ruling People' s Action Party are challenged on all 89 parliamentary seats, the first time since Singapore's independence from Malaysia in 1965.

Overseas Singapore citizens can also vote at 10 designated overseas polling stations, including Beijing, Hong Kong, London, Tokyo, New York, Dubai, where a significant number of Singaporeans are present.

Some 2.45 million eligible voters have been indicated, 4.7 percent higher than that of the 2011 election. The first time in history, voters born after Singapore's independence in 1965 outnumbered those born before. These younger voters, who demand for a diversity in parliament, are expected to play an important role in the final say of this year's election.

The parliamentary 89 seats were split into 16 group representation constituencies (GRCs), where the candidates from a contesting party is required to be fielded as a team, and 13 single member constituencies (SMCs).

After casting their votes, candidates and the public can also wait at 18 designated assembly centers to wait for the results of the general election, which usually come out at dawn the next day.

However, this year, they may be able to get a hint on the results as the Election Department decided to conduct a sample count ahead of the announcing of the final results. The Elections Department said the release of these results aims to prevent speculation or misinformation from unofficial sources while the counting is underway.

The preliminary results will be announced at around 10 p.m. ( 1400 GMT) for each of the 16 GRCs and 13 SMCs soon after polling stations close. The previous results of sample count were highly in line with the final ones, which have a confidence level of 95 percent, according to local media. However, it can still be different from the final one, the Election Department stressed. Enditem