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10-09-2015, 04:20 AM
An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:
http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/09/09...precious-vote/ (http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/09/09/don%e2%80%99ts-and-dos-of-marking-the-ballot-%e2%80%93-don%e2%80%99t-waste-your-precious-vote/)
Don’ts and dos of marking the ballot – don’t waste your precious
vote (http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/09/09/don%e2%80%99ts-and-dos-of-marking-the-ballot-%e2%80%93-don%e2%80%99t-waste-your-precious-vote/)
http://www.tremeritus.org/simages/dmca_protected_sml_120n.png?0e7b8e http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/themes/WP_010/images/PostDateIcon.png?0e7b8e
September 9th, 2015 | http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/themes/WP_010/images/PostAuthorIcon.png?0e7b8e
Author: Contributions (http://www.tremeritus.com/author/contributor/)
Did you know that you could end up giving your precious vote to the party you
dislike or end up spoiling your vote if you drew or wrote something rude in the
box next to their logo on your ballot paper? You may think you are being funny
but such actions could make the difference between a Win and a Loss in closely
contested constituencies such as in East Coast, Marine Parade and Holland-Bukit
Timah GRCs.
Every vote counts so take care not to end up spoiling your vote or giving
your vote to the wrong party by mistake. Resist the temptation to draw or write
something rude.The temptation will be magnified this year as
the Government will be printing the photos of all candidates on all ballot
papers.
http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/v-sample-300x105.jpg?0e7b8e
Yes, horns will look lovely on your “favourite” target but please exercise
restraint and do not draw or write on the photos of the candidates nor on the
party logo! No horns, no moustaches, no “FU”. Period.
Many of us know that we should mark a cross X next to the party that we want
to vote for. Sounds simple enough? But few know that there are many ways to
unwittingly end up spoiling your vote or, worse, giving the wrong party your
vote. Take a look at this.
http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/photo-7-9-15-9-16-05-pm-321x450.jpg?0e7b8e
The
above image was taken off a Facebook post. The negative messages are clear but
that does not matter as there are rules to be followed and PAP may get the vote
if their appointed counting agents are able to argue a case for the vote. And
believe me, they will. And so they should, just as all counting agents for the
opposition parties should fight for every ambiguous vote that is up for
adjudication.
As a backgrounder, each counting place that counts the ballots will have
counting agents representing each political party and government officers to do
the counting. There are Assistant Returning Officers and a Returning Officer
(RO) at each counting place and they will adjudicate unclear votes and their
decision is final.
Read these two
blog (https://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/counting-agent-me/) posts by bloggerYawningbread (https://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/counting-agent-me-too/) to
know more about the process and to see more images showing examples of valid
votes and spoilt votes. One of the images below shows votes that were apparently
considered acceptable at a counting centre during GE 2011.
Surprised by how ambiguous or questionable markings can count as a valid
vote? Me too. Blame it on a badly drafted rule issued by the Singapore
Elections Department (ELD) that gives rise to many grey areas as to when a
marked ballot can be rejected or accepted.
In the ELD 2015
guide for Counting Agents, (http://www.eld.gov.sg/pdf/GE2015/Guide%20for%20Parliamentary%20Election%20Counting% 20Agents%202015.pdf)there is this grey clause under “Counting Process”
that states:
But a ballot paper on which the vote is marked elsewhere than in the proper
place, otherwise than by means of a cross or by more than one marking will not
be treated as void if the intention of the voter as to which candidate
he/she wishes to give the vote to is clear, and the way the paper is marked does
not in itself identify the voter.
Basically, this says the vote can count so long as it can be argued that
the voter’s intentionwas to vote for the party which contains a
marking in the box next to (or on) the party on the ballot paper.
This vague rule gives too much room for what is considered an acceptable
marking which could trigger adjudication. As there is no clear guidance on how
to adjudicate some of the ballots that are marked in odd ways, except that of
determining voter intention (which is like trying to read a crystal ball in some
cases), there will be inconsistency in interpretation across the counting
centres.
According to counting agents who have witnessed the counting of votes in the
past, even drawings of a turtle, a squiggle or an “FU” can count as a spoilt
vote or a valid vote. And at the same time, there are eyewitness accounts of
votes where the X was marked faintly for the opposition party and yet were
rejected by the RO at the counting centre despite protests by that party’s
counting agents. Obviously, the ELD needs to redraft the law to make it clearer
for the counting officers and voters.
But until then what is ELD’s
guideline (http://www.eld.gov.sg/pdf/GE2015/Guide%20for%20Parliamentary%20Election%20Counting% 20Agents%202015.pdf)on what counts as a spoilt or rejected vote?
B (http://www.eld.gov.sg/pdf/GE2015/Guide%20for%20Parliamentary%20Election%20Counting% 20Agents%202015.pdf)allot papers that are rejected:
(a) a ballot paper which does not bear the complete official mark for the
authentication of ballot papers;
(b) a ballot paper on which votes are given
for more than one candidate;
(c) a ballot paper on which anything is written
or marked by which the voter can be identified (e.g. a voter signs or writes his
name or NRIC number);
(d) a ballot paper which is unmarked; and
(e) a
ballot paper which is void for uncertainty.
A vote is considered spoilt and thus not counted if Both boxes (or more if
there are more than two parties contesting in that constituency) are clearly
marked. One box may contain the legit X for the voter’s chosen party But that
vote would be invalid if the voter had made other markings in the box next to
the party you are not voting for. As long as two or more boxes in the ballot
paper contain markings those votes will be tossed into the spoilt vote pile.
Still confused?
By now I hope you understand the perils of trying to be funny or unclear when
marking your ballot paper. Play it safe and do nothing more than mark a X next
to the party of your choice. Explain and emphasise this to your family and your
friends.
When you cast your vote this Friday – please vote with your conscience for a
party/candidates with ability and integrity and vote properly with an
X.
By Jentrified Citizen
* This article first appeared on Jentrified
Citizen’s blog (https://jentrifiedcitizen.wordpress.com/2015/09/09/donts-and-dos-of-marking-the-ballot-dont-waste-your-precious-vote/).
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://sammyboy.com/showthread.php?215636-Don’ts-and-dos-of-marking-the-ballot-–-don’t-waste-your-precious-vote&goto=newpost).
http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/09/09...precious-vote/ (http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/09/09/don%e2%80%99ts-and-dos-of-marking-the-ballot-%e2%80%93-don%e2%80%99t-waste-your-precious-vote/)
Don’ts and dos of marking the ballot – don’t waste your precious
vote (http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/09/09/don%e2%80%99ts-and-dos-of-marking-the-ballot-%e2%80%93-don%e2%80%99t-waste-your-precious-vote/)
http://www.tremeritus.org/simages/dmca_protected_sml_120n.png?0e7b8e http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/themes/WP_010/images/PostDateIcon.png?0e7b8e
September 9th, 2015 | http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/themes/WP_010/images/PostAuthorIcon.png?0e7b8e
Author: Contributions (http://www.tremeritus.com/author/contributor/)
Did you know that you could end up giving your precious vote to the party you
dislike or end up spoiling your vote if you drew or wrote something rude in the
box next to their logo on your ballot paper? You may think you are being funny
but such actions could make the difference between a Win and a Loss in closely
contested constituencies such as in East Coast, Marine Parade and Holland-Bukit
Timah GRCs.
Every vote counts so take care not to end up spoiling your vote or giving
your vote to the wrong party by mistake. Resist the temptation to draw or write
something rude.The temptation will be magnified this year as
the Government will be printing the photos of all candidates on all ballot
papers.
http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/v-sample-300x105.jpg?0e7b8e
Yes, horns will look lovely on your “favourite” target but please exercise
restraint and do not draw or write on the photos of the candidates nor on the
party logo! No horns, no moustaches, no “FU”. Period.
Many of us know that we should mark a cross X next to the party that we want
to vote for. Sounds simple enough? But few know that there are many ways to
unwittingly end up spoiling your vote or, worse, giving the wrong party your
vote. Take a look at this.
http://www.tremeritus.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/photo-7-9-15-9-16-05-pm-321x450.jpg?0e7b8e
The
above image was taken off a Facebook post. The negative messages are clear but
that does not matter as there are rules to be followed and PAP may get the vote
if their appointed counting agents are able to argue a case for the vote. And
believe me, they will. And so they should, just as all counting agents for the
opposition parties should fight for every ambiguous vote that is up for
adjudication.
As a backgrounder, each counting place that counts the ballots will have
counting agents representing each political party and government officers to do
the counting. There are Assistant Returning Officers and a Returning Officer
(RO) at each counting place and they will adjudicate unclear votes and their
decision is final.
Read these two
blog (https://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/counting-agent-me/) posts by bloggerYawningbread (https://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/counting-agent-me-too/) to
know more about the process and to see more images showing examples of valid
votes and spoilt votes. One of the images below shows votes that were apparently
considered acceptable at a counting centre during GE 2011.
Surprised by how ambiguous or questionable markings can count as a valid
vote? Me too. Blame it on a badly drafted rule issued by the Singapore
Elections Department (ELD) that gives rise to many grey areas as to when a
marked ballot can be rejected or accepted.
In the ELD 2015
guide for Counting Agents, (http://www.eld.gov.sg/pdf/GE2015/Guide%20for%20Parliamentary%20Election%20Counting% 20Agents%202015.pdf)there is this grey clause under “Counting Process”
that states:
But a ballot paper on which the vote is marked elsewhere than in the proper
place, otherwise than by means of a cross or by more than one marking will not
be treated as void if the intention of the voter as to which candidate
he/she wishes to give the vote to is clear, and the way the paper is marked does
not in itself identify the voter.
Basically, this says the vote can count so long as it can be argued that
the voter’s intentionwas to vote for the party which contains a
marking in the box next to (or on) the party on the ballot paper.
This vague rule gives too much room for what is considered an acceptable
marking which could trigger adjudication. As there is no clear guidance on how
to adjudicate some of the ballots that are marked in odd ways, except that of
determining voter intention (which is like trying to read a crystal ball in some
cases), there will be inconsistency in interpretation across the counting
centres.
According to counting agents who have witnessed the counting of votes in the
past, even drawings of a turtle, a squiggle or an “FU” can count as a spoilt
vote or a valid vote. And at the same time, there are eyewitness accounts of
votes where the X was marked faintly for the opposition party and yet were
rejected by the RO at the counting centre despite protests by that party’s
counting agents. Obviously, the ELD needs to redraft the law to make it clearer
for the counting officers and voters.
But until then what is ELD’s
guideline (http://www.eld.gov.sg/pdf/GE2015/Guide%20for%20Parliamentary%20Election%20Counting% 20Agents%202015.pdf)on what counts as a spoilt or rejected vote?
B (http://www.eld.gov.sg/pdf/GE2015/Guide%20for%20Parliamentary%20Election%20Counting% 20Agents%202015.pdf)allot papers that are rejected:
(a) a ballot paper which does not bear the complete official mark for the
authentication of ballot papers;
(b) a ballot paper on which votes are given
for more than one candidate;
(c) a ballot paper on which anything is written
or marked by which the voter can be identified (e.g. a voter signs or writes his
name or NRIC number);
(d) a ballot paper which is unmarked; and
(e) a
ballot paper which is void for uncertainty.
A vote is considered spoilt and thus not counted if Both boxes (or more if
there are more than two parties contesting in that constituency) are clearly
marked. One box may contain the legit X for the voter’s chosen party But that
vote would be invalid if the voter had made other markings in the box next to
the party you are not voting for. As long as two or more boxes in the ballot
paper contain markings those votes will be tossed into the spoilt vote pile.
Still confused?
By now I hope you understand the perils of trying to be funny or unclear when
marking your ballot paper. Play it safe and do nothing more than mark a X next
to the party of your choice. Explain and emphasise this to your family and your
friends.
When you cast your vote this Friday – please vote with your conscience for a
party/candidates with ability and integrity and vote properly with an
X.
By Jentrified Citizen
* This article first appeared on Jentrified
Citizen’s blog (https://jentrifiedcitizen.wordpress.com/2015/09/09/donts-and-dos-of-marking-the-ballot-dont-waste-your-precious-vote/).
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://sammyboy.com/showthread.php?215636-Don’ts-and-dos-of-marking-the-ballot-–-don’t-waste-your-precious-vote&goto=newpost).