Masked Singapore locals come out to cast vote in 'new normal' style

Singaporeans wearing masks and gloves reached the polling stations 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.

Clad in face shields, election officials enforced safe distancing rules and took voters' temperatures as they entered polling booths.

The morning session was mainly reserved for the elderly to prevent overcrowding.

Social distancing was enforced by all the volunteers. Marking were made on floors of all the polling booth and the voters were asked to stand only at the markings and avoid any contact with anyone else.

Voters are expected to spend no more than five minutes in a polling station, where they will self-scan identity cards, sanitise their hands and pull on disposable gloves before receiving a ballot paper.

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.

Singapore's Prime Minister and secretary-general of the ruling People's Action Party Lee Hsien Loong and his wife, Ho Ching, also came out to cast their vote.

"Indians make up 8.5 per cent of the population," said Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam to a local media house. He also said that many of the Indian MPs are ministers, including Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah.

As the party has not nominated any new candidates, Shanmugam said there were nine Indian MPs from the PAP in the last Parliament, which is about 10 per cent of the House.