How The Ballot Is Abused

By now, everyone knows our vote is secret.

The ballot boxes are scrutinised by watchful eyes from both camps. After counting, the incineration of the sealed boxes of ballot papers is also similarly witnessed. This is the last bastion of legitimate democracy. This is a line that even moral degenerates like Vivian Balakrishnan, with his smear campaign against Christian fundamentalists and gays alike, dare not cross. The last thing he would want is a flight of Black Hawk helicopters laden with Navy Seals hovering over his residence, a reprise of their successful surgical strike at Abottabad.

Prior to the 1997 election, all votes were counted at the constituency level. To fix the opposition, there was a change to count the votes at the precinct level. This does not compromise vote secrecy, since there is still no way to determine how individuals voted. However, as Low Thia Khiang explains it, "Such a counting system allows the PAP to know which cluster of of flats or areas contained more opposition supporters so that they can redraw the boundaries to their advantage (at the next election)." This is the crux of their gerrymandering.

This was why some 22,000 voters living in the Hougang area which was part of Aljunied GRC have been moved into Ang Mo Kio GRC. What the PAP fail to recognise is that the knife can cut both ways. The batch of voters kicked around like a football could end up to be a liability for the Minister at Ang Mo Kio GRC. Their tunnel vision has always been that the electorate always vote for the Party, never mind if the team include dubious characters with shady motivations for office.

In the sample polling card for West Coast below note the designation for "polling place no." While awaiting your turn, see how HDB and private property dwellers queue at different lines. You get the idea.