Why Singapore’s Election Is a New Test for the Ruling Party

Singaporeans will head to the polls on May 3 after a mere nine-day election campaign — among the world’s shortest timelines for voters to make a decision. The ballot comes at a particularly challenging time for the small, open, trade-dependent economy, which could suffer collateral damage in the escalating tariff war between the US and China.

The People’s Action Party has been in power in Singapore since before the country became independent in 1965, and has continued to secure a supermajority in parliament in every general election since. While none of the results have been close, the PAP has shown signs of vulnerability. In the last election in 2020, the party’s share of the popular vote slipped by almost 9 percentage points to 61.2%, as economic woes weighed on public sentiment.