GE2025: Physical rallies are back, but do they matter anymore for Singapore’s elections?

Physical rallies have always been seen as the lifeblood of election campaigns—it’s one of the main ways political parties and candidates can engage with voters and get their message out to the masses. 

That was, at least, until GE2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced parties to hold digital rallies. 

This shift wasn’t necessarily a drawback—in fact, some politicians thrived without traditional rallies.

Take Progress Singapore Party (PSP)’s Tan Cheng Bock, for instance. By the midpoint of GE2020’s campaigning period, each of his Instagram posts reached 12,000 followers, which is three times the capacity of Clementi Stadium, where rallies for West Coast GRC were held in past elections. 

Come General Election 2025, physical rallies are slated to make a comeback, with the Singapore Police Force aiming to designate two rally sites for each Group Representation Constituency and one site for each Single Member Constituency.

Given the success of digital rallies, are they truly necessary?

The evolution of political campaigning strategies

Before the widespread adoption of television and radio, political rallies were the only way candidates could disseminate their messages. 

The Fullerton area, in particular, had been a central venue for such gatherings since 1959, attracting large crowds eager to hear Singapore’s earliest political parties articulate their visions on independence and self-rule.

With Singapore’s urban landscape evolving, rally sites have shifted to other parts of the country over the years, with the last physical rallies taking place during the 2015 General Election. 

By then, politicians had already acknowledged the growing influence of the digital space, though they did not view it as a replacement for physical rallies.

In an interview with ASEAN journalists back in 2015, former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong remarked that more Singaporeans were spending time on social media platforms, and he wanted to have an online presence there, too.

He explained that there were people on Facebook who “would not be reading speeches, and [social media] would be one way to reach them.”

Other government ministers and MPs followed suit, using Facebook to engage with Singaporeans by commenting on social and economic issues and sharing photos of themselves interacting with residents during constituency visits. 

They’ve also leveraged social media to better connect with voters in the months leading up to GE2015. 

GE2020, on the other hand, necessitated a transition to digital campaigning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though physical walkabouts were still permitted, candidates and political parties adapted by hosting virtual rallies, live-streaming events, and utilising social media platforms to reach voters. 

And it looks like they’ve not only effectively replicated the reach and impact of traditional, physical rallies but also expanded it.

How digital media played a part in GE2020

During GE2020, the Government provided venues for candidates to hold live-streamed e-rallies at the Suntec Convention Centre. Additionally, political parties were also given more airtime on national TV, which was introduced as a one-off arrangement during the pandemic.  

Meanwhile, parties also took it upon themselves to explore new formats to engage with voters. 

Some parties held talk shows instead of physical rallies, such as Straight Talk by the People’s Association Party and the Hammer Show by the Worker’s Party. 

In an interview with AsiaOne, Associate Professor Eugene Tan from Singapore Management University’s School of Law said that these programmes allowed parties to engage with voters on a “more intellectual level” than at physical rallies, where voters can be moved by emotion.

On the other hand, both the opposition and ruling parties also leveraged platforms like Instagram and TikTok to directly address voters and cater to younger audiences who may not necessarily attend physical rallies. 

By tapping into current trends, these parties have managed to amplify their messages, with user-generated content further extending their reach.

I’ll be honest—I haven’t always kept up with politics. But in 2020, I’ve had videos of Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat’s “East Coast plan” speech and Sengkang GRC MP Jamus Lim’s debate comments flooding my social media feed.

However, a common assumption is that digital outreach primarily engages younger, tech-savvy audiences, but a study from IPS challenges this notion. 

While older voters used social media platforms less frequently than younger generations during GE2020, they were just as active—if not more so—on instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. 

The boomer generation (those aged 56 years and older) relied on these platforms as much as other generations for information-seeking and even surpassed them when it came to engaging directly with political parties and candidates.

Beyond reaching a wider audience, digital campaigning also offers advantages over physical rallies to smaller opposition parties, who typically have limited resources. 

During GE2020, experts said that the lack of physical events levelled the playing field for these parties as it is more cost-effective for them to reach and connect with voters via digital means. 

The case for physical rallies 

Yet, some still argue that digital rallies may lack “human connection.”

Former Reform Party chairman Andy Zhu echoed this sentiment during GE2020, emphasising the emotional aspect of physical rallies in an interview with The Straits Times.

“I don’t mean to say that attendance in rallies brings in votes in exchange, but if there are no rallies, there’s no hype. Online or television broadcast, they might not be as enthusiastic and they can’t shout and roar. The emotional aspect is important.”

Physical rallies can provide an opportunity for voters to hear from candidates directly and to see them in person. Candidates can address voters’ concerns face-to-face, offering a level of transparency and accountability that digital platforms may lack.

In fact, some experts have even pointed out that digital campaigns, particularly on social media, are often “staged” and “curated for positive impressions,” which makes in-person interactions more valuable. 

However, does the impact of traditional, physical rallies outweigh the benefits of digital campaigning, especially in an era where online engagement is growing rapidly?

The future of political campaigns

Both physical rallies and digital campaigns have their own merits. 

But with limited space for rallies in a densely populated country like Singapore, hosting large-scale events may not be as feasible as it was in previous years. In fact, nearly half of the locations used for physical rallies in 2015 no longer exist, according to CNA.

Out of the 46 rally sites used in GE2015, 22 are no longer available, mostly due to housing developments. Additionally, three out of the 14 stadiums that hosted rallies in 2015 are now unavailable.

As the demand for housing continues to rise, physical rallies might decline in prominence and may not be enough to sustain meaningful voter engagement.

This is where digital campaigns can come into play to supplement physical rallies. It allows parties to reach a much broader and diverse audience, and they’ve also proved to be effective in other countries, including the US.

Analysts have credited Donald Trump’s use of podcasts and livestreams as one of the key strategies behind his election success. He was criticised for the lackluster turnout at his rallies, however, he has managed to build his audience elsewhere by collaborating with young, male right-leaning podcasters, including Logan Paul and Joe Rogan. 

As a result, 56% of young men voted Republican in the 2024 election, up from 41% in 2020. 

Moving forward, Singapore is likely to see the rise of hybrid campaigning formats, and by integrating both methods, political parties in Singapore can ensure they connect with voters across all demographics. 

Feature Image Credit: People’s Action Party, edited by Vulcan Post