Election deposit for candidates set at $13,500

The election deposit for candidates who want to stand in the Bukit Batok by-election has been set at $13,500.

This and other information was provided by the Elections Department (ELD) in an advisory for candidates of the upcoming Bukit Batok polls on May 7.

The sum is less than the $14,500 required both in last year's general election and the Punggol East by-election in 2013.

Advertisement Under the Parliamentary Elections Act, the deposit is computed based on 8 per cent of the total allowances paid to a Member of Parliament in the preceding calendar year, rounded to the nearest $500.

Related: Quiet start to Bukit Batok contest

The ELD said the lower deposit this time round had to do with MPs getting lower allowances last year as they were not paid allowances during the period from the dissolution of Parliament for the Sept 11 General Election, until they returned to office.

For the upcoming polls, candidates will have to pay their election deposit before noon next Wednesday, the Nomination Day. This can be in cash, bank draft or cheque.

The deposit will be forfeited if a candidate receives less than 12.5 per cent of the votes.

The advisory for candidates, which was put up on the ELD's website on Wednesday, also set out the proceedings for Nomination Day.

Candidates have one hour, from 11am, to file their papers at the school hall in Keming Primary School.

These papers, including the nomination form and the political donation certificate, must be complete and submitted in duplicate by the candidates in person.

Candidates must also be accompanied by a proposer, a seconder and at least four assentors, who must be registered voters from Bukit Batok and have to be present when the nomination is filed.

New rules put in place for rallies during the general election last year will also continue to apply at this by-election, said the advisory.

This includes a ban on aerial drones at nomination centres, rally sites and assembly centres, among other things.

Cooling-off Day will be on May 6, a day before Polling Day.

A total of 25,727 voters are expected to cast their ballots at nine polling stations.

Read also: Will Whatsapp swing Bukit Batok?

This article was first published on April 22, 2016.
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