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SINGAPORE - Candidates contesting this year’s general election will need to pay $13,500 each – the same as in the 2020 election. 

This and other details were revealed on April 15 by the Elections Department (ELD), shortly after President Tharman Shanmugaratnam dissolved Parliament and issued the Writ of Election.

Polling Day will be on May 3, a Saturday, if more than one candidate or group of candidates are nominated for an electoral division on Nomination Day. Nomination Day will be on Wednesday, April 23.

Candidates’ election deposits will be forfeited if they are not elected and do not secure more than 12.5 per cent of the votes polled.

The deposit is set as the fixed monthly allowance payable to an elected MP for the month immediately before the date of dissolution of Parliament, rounded to the nearest $500. The current fixed monthly allowance is $13,750.

Candidates are encouraged to pay their deposits early, and not wait until Nomination Day to do so. Other than using a cheque, electronic payment methods, such as PayNow and bank transfer, are also available. 

Candidates are also encouraged to use the digital services at the ELD website to prepare their nomination papers. This helps them check that their proposer, seconder and assenters belong to the right electoral division, which is where the candidates are seeking election.

Completed papers should be printed and signed, and the nomination papers must be delivered in person to the respective nomination centres between 11am and noon on Nomination Day. The candidate, or group of candidates, must be accompanied by a proposer, a seconder and at least four assenters when delivering the nomination papers.

Each candidate must also apply for a political donation certificate from the Registrar of Political Donations by April 19. This may also be done online.

Candidates must adhere to election expenses limits stipulated in the Parliamentary Elections Act, which is currently $5 for every elector in their electoral divisi...