Election Department announces formation of EBRC while GE date remains undecided

The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) has been convened, initiating preparations for Singapore’s next general election.

The Elections Department (ELD) announced on 22 January 2025 that Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had formed the ad-hoc committee, a key precursor to the redrawing of electoral constituencies.

Historically, the time between the EBRC’s formation and Polling Day has ranged from four to 11 months, with the most recent committee completing its work within seven months. This timeline suggests that the next election could be held as early as May, should the committee conclude its tasks promptly, mirroring the scenario during GE2011.

Mandate and composition of the EBRC

The EBRC, chaired by Tan Kee Yong, Secretary to the Prime Minister, comprises five senior civil servants. Its members include Singapore Land Authority chief executive Colin Low, Housing Board chief executive Tan Meng Dui, Chief Statistician Koh Eng Chuan, and ELD head Lim Zhi Yang.

The committee is tasked with reviewing electoral boundaries, recommending the number of group representation constituencies (GRCs) and single-member constituencies (SMCs), and ensuring that the average sizes and ratios from the last election remain consistent. These adjustments consider population shifts and housing developments, particularly in growing areas such as Tengah and Bidadari.

Although no fixed deadline exists for submitting its report, past committees have taken between three weeks and seven months. Once the report is presented to Parliament, the boundaries must be approved before the general election can be called.

Revision of Registers of Electors

In line with preparations for Singapore’s next general election, PM Wong has also directed the Registration Officer to revise the Registers of Electors, as per section 14(1) of the Parliamentary Elections Act.

The revision is expected to be completed before 1 April 2025 to ensure the registers are up to date.

The qualifying criteria for inclusion in the revised registers are as follows: individuals must be Singapore citizens aged 21 or older as of 1 February 2025, not disqualified from voting under prevailing laws, and possess either a Singapore residential address on their NRIC or a registered Local Contact Address for overseas voters.

The revised Registers of Electors will be available for public inspection in February 2025. ELD will release further details on how citizens can verify their inclusion in the updated registers.

This revision ensures that all eligible Singaporeans are accounted for ahead of the general election, underscoring the government’s efforts to maintain a transparent and comprehensive electoral process.

Implications for the general election

The next general election must be held by November 2025, with Parliament required to dissolve by 24 August 2025, when its five-year term concludes.

PM Wong, who assumed leadership of the People’s Action Party in December 2024, has not indicated when the election will take place despite the constitutional deadline being just months away.

The EBRC’s formation has been a subject of political discussion throughout 2024. Opposition Members of Parliament questioned its status multiple times, and PM Wong reiterated in November that the committee’s establishment would be publicly disclosed.

In a motion last year, Progress Singapore Party Non-constituency Member of the Parliament Hazel Poa proposed a minimum period of three months between the publishing of the EBRC report and the dissolution of Parliament. This measure was suggested to ensure a more level playing field by providing all political parties with additional time to prepare for the general election.

However, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing responded by stating, “The Government also gives reasonable notice of boundary changes. The past few GEs were called some one to three months after the release of the EBRC’s report. And as we have said before, we will seek to have sufficient time between the release of the EBRC’s report and the dissolution of Parliament, so that all political parties and candidates can make the necessary preparations,” without committing to a specific timeframe.

Context and preparations

The EBRC was last convened in August 2019 ahead of the 2020 general election, which was held three months after the committee delivered its report. That election marked the first time since 1991 without six-member GRCs, as Ang Mo Kio and Pasir Ris-Punggol were reduced to five-member constituencies.

Emerging towns such as Tengah and Bidadari, which have seen significant population growth, are expected to influence boundary revisions. Political parties have also ramped up their activities, introducing potential candidates and intensifying grassroots engagements.

Preparations for the election are well underway. In March 2024, ELD announced that 50,000 public servants had been appointed as election officials, with training commencing in April.