Long lines as Singaporeans in masks vote during pandemic

Singaporeans wearing masks and gloves queued to cast their ballots on Friday under the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic that is pushing the city-state’s economy towards its worst-ever recession, making saving jobs the focus of the election.

In power since independence in 1965, the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) is expected to carry Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to another comfortable, and probably final victory.

Clad in face shields, election officials enforced safe distancing rules and took voters’ temperatures as they entered polling booths, with the morning session mainly reserved for the elderly to prevent overcrowding.

While officials had hoped it would take voters no more than five minutes to cast their ballot, lines formed initially outside some polling stations, where people said they waited up to an hour.

“Looking at the conditions, I am considering if it is worth risking my health just to exercise my voting rights,” said Joseph Lim, 41, a technology professional, though voting is mandatory in Singapore.

The Elections Department said the queues were partly due to additional safety measures and had receded around mid-morning.

Lee, the son of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding leader, has held the premiership since 2004, but aged 68 he has already flagged his intention to step aside in coming years. He has sought a fresh mandate to deal with the virus outbreak and its economic fallout.

Seen as a measure of approval for both the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis and the next generation of leaders, the poll results will be closely watched as even small shifts in the PAP’s popularity can lead to major policy changes.

When concerns around immigration and jobs flared in 2011, the PAP polled a record-low 60% of the vote and tightened international hiring rules to address voters’ sensitivities.

As the Asian trade and finance hub emerges from lockdown to face its deepest recession, these concerns are once again to the fore.