Electoral Boundaries Review Committee announces boundary shifts, opposition wards remain largely untouched.
Singapore’s Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) released its highly anticipated report on March 11, 2025, outlining key constituency boundary adjustments ahead of the 2025 General Election (GE2025). The biggest takeaways from the report include the introduction of five new Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and six new Single Member Constituencies (SMCs), while opposition-held wards have remained mostly unchanged. The government has accepted the recommendations, setting the stage for one of Singapore’s most pivotal elections.
Key Boundary Adjustments Ahead of GE2025
The EBRC’s latest report has introduced significant constituency changes, affecting thousands of voters across several districts. The most notable shift is the transfer of three polling districts from opposition-held Aljunied GRC to ruling party-held Tampines GRC, affecting 3,834 voters. This change includes:
1. Waterview and Tropica Condominiums
2. Tampines GreenGem Public Housing Estate
3. The under-construction Tampines GreenJade Estate
Additionally, a third polling district, covering worker dormitories, temples, and a funeral parlour along Tampines Road, Tampines Link, and Tampines Avenue 10, has been absorbed into Tampines GRC.
Further changes include:
- Holland-Bukit Timah GRC absorbing one polling district from the dissolved Jurong GRC, affecting 2,776 voters residing in Springdale, Sherwood Towers, Garden Vista, and Jardin condominiums.
- Chua Chu Kang GRC absorbing 193 voters from The Tennery condominium, along with two newly built Rail Green estates, which were previously split between constituencies.
These shifts realign boundaries along key geographical landmarks such as Woodlands Road, replacing older demarcations based on obsolete railway tracks.
Click on the map below to explore boundary changes over the years
Opposition Wards Remain Intact
A key observation from the EBRC report is that opposition-held constituencies remain largely untouched, a longstanding practice aimed at maintaining electoral consistency. The following Workers’ Party (WP) strongholds will retain their current boundaries:
- Sengkang GRC
- Hougang SMC
- Aljunied GRC (except for the minor adjustments to Tampines GRC)
This move signals electoral stability in WP-controlled areas while changes mainly affect PAP-dominated constituencies.
The seven other constituencies that remain unchanged are:
- Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC
- Jalan Besar GRC
- Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC
- Nee Soon GRC
- Bukit Panjang SMC
- Marymount SMC
- Pioneer SMC
This means that only nine of the 31 constituencies from GE2020 remain untouched, while 22 constituencies have undergone boundary revisions.
New GRCs and SMCs: Political Implications
The EBRC report introduces five new GRCs and six new SMCs to accommodate voter growth in key areas. New GRCs include Punggol, Pasir Ris-Changi, Marine Parade-Braddell Heights, Jurong East-Bukit Batok, and West Coast-Jurong West. Meanwhile, new SMCs such as Bukit Gombak, Jalan Kayu, and Queenstown replace five dissolved SMCs that have been absorbed into GRCs.
These changes reflect shifts in population and urban planning while largely preserving opposition-held constituencies. The ruling PAP is expected to adjust its strategy to maintain support in restructured areas, making GE2025 a closely watched election.
Impact on Voter Distribution and Representation
The latest boundary changes reshape voter demographics in affected constituencies. Based on the provisional Registers of Electors as of February 1, 2025, Singapore now has 2,753,226 registered voters, an increase of 101,791 electors from GE2020.
Following the changes, the new voter counts per GRC are:
- Aljunied GRC: 144,032 voters
- Tampines GRC: 147,904 voters
- Holland-Bukit Timah GRC: 122,891 voters
- Chua Chu Kang GRC: 93,368 voters
Despite these adjustments, the number of MPs per constituency remains unchanged:
- Aljunied and Tampines GRCs remain as five-member constituencies
- Holland-Bukit Timah and Chua Chu Kang GRCs remain as four-member constituencies
The total number of elected MPs in Singapore will increase from 93 to 97, with each MP representing an average of 28,384 voters, a slight decrease from GE2020.
The EBRC’s 2025 report signals a major shift in Singapore’s electoral landscape, introducing new constituencies while leaving opposition wards largely intact. The government’s acceptance of these recommendations sets the stage for a highly competitive GE2025, where new voter demographics could reshape political battles. As election season approaches, parties will now strategize their campaigns to navigate these changes and win over new voter blocs.
Sources: The Straits Times (2025), CNA (2025), Mothership (2025)
Keywords: Singapore Elections, Electoral Boundaries, General Election, Opposition Wards, Political Constituencies
