SINGAPORE ELECTIONS GLOSSARY

Alliance
A linking of political parties coming together to work towards a common cause.

Assentor
A Singapore citizen who witnesses the nomination of a candidate or candidates contesting in the electoral constituency that he or she is living within.

By-election
An election held when an electoral constituency's seat or all GRC seats are vacated due to resignations or deaths of incumbent MPs. The law spells the necessity to fill a vacated constituency if it has only one MP but for a GRC, all the MPs in it must vacate their seats before a by-election is needed to be called.

Candidate
A Singapore citizen above the age of 21 years old wishes to seek public office. There are other legal conditions to meet for one to be an eligible candidate.

Coalition
A amalgamation of political parties coming together in order to achieve a majority in Parliament to form the government.

General elections
Elections that must be held when a Parliament term expires and is dissolved once every five years.

Group Representation Constituencies
A group of electoral constituencies gathered to form a bigger constituency is represented by a group of candidates or MPs.

Nomination day
A day set for a candidates to file their papers in order for them to be eligible to seek public office.

Parliament
An institution where laws are made and approved by representatives elected by the population in segments called constituencies. Every Parliament term is five years from the date of the first sitting after general elections are over.

Political party
An organisation registered with the Registrar of Societies under the Societies Act except that they have exemptions from prohibitions to send candidates for elections.

Ruling party
Refers to a political party that forms the government by securing a simple majority by itself.

Simple majority
Majority through securing more than half the number of seats in Parliament. A political party with a simple majority can form the government alone without a coalition.

Seat
An elected representation in Parliament. There are a number of them in Parliament, and they are filled through general elections or by-election(s).

Two-thirds majority
Majority through securing more than two-thirds of the seats in Parliament. This needed for bills and decisions to be passed.