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200708 BT Ge2020 in Numbers BT Infographics GE2020 Election by the numbers Social media platforms have been abuzz with virtual campaigning efforts as polling day draws close, taking the place of physical rallies that were among highlights of past elections in pre-pandemic times. With political parties pushed into the digital age, The Business Times looks at how the GE2020 has unfolded in cyberspace. BY CLAUDIA TAN & NATALIE CHOY VOTERS 93 2,653,942 SEATS CONTESTED 0.5% 0.5% CONSTITUENCIES PPP Independent FOLLOWER GROWTH Number of Facebook followers gained per day Largest GRC Smallest SMC 2.6% Ang Mo Kio Potong Pasir 2.6% SDA 185,465 electors 19,740 electors 2.6% RDU People’s Action Party SPP Average growth rate: 2.3% 3.1% 1,332 RP 1,347 338 338 653 5.2% 516 NSP July 1 July 2 July 3 July 4 July 5 July 6 Workers’ Party GRCs: 17 SMCs: 14 5.2% Average growth rate: 9.5% New: Sengkang New: Kebun Baru, Yio Chu Kang, PV Marymount, Punggol West 2,699 2,098 2,421 1,474 1,271 1,336 July 1 July 2 July 3 July 4 July 5 July 6 5.7% 40 74 118 152 48.4% Female New 192PSP Male SHARE-OF-VOICE SDP Candidates PAP Progress Singapore Party Based on content generated by political Average growth rate: 22.4% parties on digital media platforms 1,539 1,539 1,119 0.19% 2.29% 932 836 776 People’s Power Party Singapore Democratic 10.9% July 1 July 2 July 3 July 4 July 5 July 6 1.72% Alliance WP Peoples Voice Singapore Democratic Party 1.48% 1.60% Average growth rate: 5.6% Reform Party Singapore People’s Party 813 1.46% 498 558 565 503 540 National Solidarity Party 12.5% 0.67% PSP July 1 July 2 July 3 July 4 July 5 July 6 Red Dot United 8.92% Singapore FACEBOOK ACTIVITY Democratic Party AGE Number of wall posts from July 1 to 6 Youngest 8.19% 47.01% PAP 69 Progress 23 WP 46 Singapore Party People’s Choo Shaun Ming Action Party (Progress Singapore Party) PSP 26 SDP 66 Oldest RDU 41 26.48% 80 NSP 17 Workers’ Party Tan Cheng Bock RP 48 (Progress Singapore Party) PV 28 PPP 15 Median SPP 20 49 SDA 15 FACEBOOK POSTS How the four main parties (WP, PAP, SDP and PSP) fared on Facebook between June 22 and July 1 INTERACTIONS KEY PERSONALITIES I Of the four main parties, WP I PAP posted the most number of times (107) I Between June 22 and July 1, PM Lee I A June 29 Facebook post by Lee Hsien posted the least number of times but the total interaction for these posts was posted 29 times on Facebook and garnered Yang announcing his decision to join the on Facebook (47) but garnered significantly lower at 140,632. PSP garnered 390,342 total interactions – more than 2.7 party as a member was shared 5,671 the highest number of 119,460 interactions with 50 posts, while the times the total interactions of Tan Cheng times – the most shared post among the interactions (231,130). SDP got 58,949 interactions with 54 posts. Bock, Pritam Singh and Lee Hsien Yang. four personalities. Total no of interaction/day Total Facebook interactions/day June 30: June 30: 60,000 80,000 Nomination Day Nomination Day WP June 23: 40,000 60,000 GE2020 announced June 23: GE2020 announced PSP 20,000 40,000 PAP Lee Hsien Loong SDP 20,000 Tan Cheng Bock June 22 June 24 June 26 June 28 June 30 Pritam Singh SHARES Lee Hsien Yang I Facebook posts by WP were the I The most shared Facebook post among the four June 22 June 24 June 26 June 28 June 30 most shared – 29,229 times, compared political parties is WP’s “Make Your Vote Count” to 22,713 times for PSP, 13,738 video, which the party posted on June 24 and Based on 1,460 GE-related Facebook posts from 15 public Facebook pages in Singapore between June 22 (a day before the election is times for PAP and 9,493 for SDP. had since been shared 5,239 times. announced) and July 1 (a day after Nomination Day). BT Graphics: Gareth Chung & Simon Ang Sources: Analytix Labs, Meltwater.
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