- Preliminary results show PAP securing 72% of valid votes
- Voter turnout dips to 84% amid heavy rainfall
- West Coast GRC sees closest margin at 54%
Singapore's election department announced a decisive lead for the People's Action Party (PAP) late Friday, with sample counts projecting the ruling party's 15th consecutive victory since independence. The 72% vote share – if confirmed – would reverse the 61.2% result from 2020, signaling renewed public confidence in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's succession plan.
Political analysts attribute the rebound to PAP's targeted housing grants and healthcare subsidies for seniors. A surprise 8% wage increase for civil servants announced three months before polls appears to have resonated with middle-class voters. However, East Coast GRC's 22% youth voter abstention rate suggests growing generational divides.
Regional comparisons reveal intriguing patterns. While Malaysia's 2022 election produced its first hung parliament, Singapore's first-past-the-post system continues favoring establishment parties. Johor Bahru-based strategist Dr. Aminah Tan notes: PAP's 90-minute COVID test kit distribution during monsoon season became an unexpected campaign masterstroke.
The telecommunications sector emerges as an unexpected beneficiary, with polling day app usage spiking 217%. Meanwhile, opposition parties face structural challenges – Workers' Party candidates needed S$352,000 minimum deposits per GRC team, versus PAP's state-funded war chest.