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| General Election |
Singaporeans go to the polls on Saturday to cast their ballot in the General Election.
The proposal to have a Cooling-off Day was first made by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in December 2009.
He had said that after an exciting and emotional election campaign, voters ought to have some time to calm down, reflect on the issues and the arguments, and analyse what is at stake, and then to go to the polls to cast their vote in a calm and steady state of mind.
He had added: "It is good to have 24 hours to calm down, think about it, and then tomorrow we vote. Another advantage, particularly if the election has been an emotional one, is that the extra day will help lower the risk of public disorder."
During this cooling-off period, no form of campaigning is allowed. That was why on Friday, there were no rallies and candidates were not making their door-to-door visits - something which voters had been getting used to for the past two weeks.
The exception is that party political broadcasts can be televised, alongside news reports on the election. This includes interviews done earlier, and summaries of the campaign.
Several candidates, whom we spoke to, have indeed welcomed the Cooling-off Day.
They said it is a day to catch up with some sleep and spend time with their families since campaigning is not allowed.
On Polling Day, candidates are expected to make their rounds to the various polling stations to observe the voting process before they head to the counting centres at night.
