2020 Singaporean general election

General elections were held in Singapore on 10 July 2020 to elect members of Parliament. They were the fifteenth general elections since the introduction of self-government in 1959 and the thirtheenth since independence in 1965. Parliament was dissolved and the general election called by President Halimah Yacob on 23 June, on the advice of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The number of elected seats was increased from 89 to 93 from the previous election. The election was significantly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, which became a central issue in the campaign. The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) emphasised its management of the crisis, including securing supplies of face masks and ramping up testing. In contrast, opposition parties criticised the government's handling of the pandemic, particularly the high number of COVID-19 cases in foreign worker dormitories and the Ministry of Health's reversal of its guidance on mask usage. Beyond the pandemic, other key issues that emerged during the election included the cost of living, housing affordability, population growth and immigration policies. The election also featured constituency political broadcasts, a televised programme hosted by Mediacorp, which replaced physical rallies that were suspended as part of social distancing measures. On polling day, the ruling PAP secured its 15th consecutive term in government since 1959, winning 83 of the 93 elected seats. The Workers' Party (WP) captured the remaining 10. With the WP polling 50.5% in the 6 constituencies (totalling 21 seats in Parliament) it contested against the PAP, this was the first general election since independence where the PAP lost the combined popular vote in constituencies contested by an opposition party. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the election also recorded the highest voter turnout since 1997, and it was the first election in which more than 1 million votes were not cast for the PAP (i.e. invalid or otherwise for the opposition).