Online Voting Using SingPass for Singaporeans based Overseas
Prime Minister's OfficeSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the feasibility of online voting for overseas Singaporeans using SingPass, as raised by Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong. Minister, Prime Minister's Office Mr Chan Chun Sing replied that the Elections Department’s studies identified significant challenges, including voter authentication, impersonation risks, and maintaining voting secrecy. He highlighted that Internet voting is vulnerable to hacking, cyberattacks, and system reliability issues, which complicates the auditing of results compared to traditional methods. Although SingPass offers authentication, the Minister noted it is not foolproof against the theft of passwords or tokens and cannot resolve all security concerns. Consequently, the Government continues to view paper balloting at polling stations as the most transparent and secure method for ensuring electoral integrity.
Transcript
4 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Prime Minister (a) whether any Government studies have been undertaken on the feasibility of online voting for overseas Singaporeans using SingPass which can overcome security and secrecy concerns relating to postal voting; (b) if so, whether they can be made available; and (c) if such studies do not exist, whether the Government can share with Singaporeans the obstacles preventing these studies from being undertaken.
The Minister, Prime Minister's Office (Mr Chan Chun Sing) (for the Prime Minister): Mdm Speaker, on behalf of the Prime Minister, let me take this question. The Elections Department has studied the feasibility of Internet voting for overseas Singaporeans. While Internet voting may appeal to some, it has various challenges like difficulties in authenticating voters, preventing impersonation and ensuring voting secrecy. In addition, there are system reliability issues and security risks, such as vulnerability to hacking and cyberattacks. Auditing the voting results in the event of a petition to the Election Judge is also more challenging and potentially problematic.
The use of SingPass can only overcome the difficulties with authentication partially, but not the other challenges with Internet voting. For now, voting by paper ballot at polling stations is still the simplest and most transparent method of voting that can ensure the integrity and secrecy of our voting process.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Non-Constituency Member): I thank the Minister for the reply. I just have one supplementary question. The Minister mentioned that the use of SingPass may solve some of the issues, but what are they? Perhaps, he could elaborate a little bit about what are the other issues that SingPass may not be able to solve.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Mdm Speaker, I think we all know the challenges with any Internet transactions and, that is, the authentication and verification of the person's identity. SingPass, as of now, we have a single- and a double-authentication method. Both of these are contingent on us being able to verify that the person is, indeed, the person using the token and the SingPass password.
This is not so easily overcome. For any Internet banking transaction equivalent, we also have the same challenge. If somebody is able to get his hands on the password or, for that matter, the token, then it is not a fool-proof method. There are risks involved in all these, which SingPass itself, while it is an improvement over the past, will not be able to overcome entirely.
Mdm Speaker: Order. End of Question Time. Leader of the House.