Even as we enter Phase 2, this year's Singapore general election will face restrictions that we've never seen before. With no on-the-ground rallies, parties have to take their campaigns online. And with more Gen Z and millennial voters in the mix, Instagram has become an invaluable tool for education and outreach.
Take this time to pore over Singapore's political history by reading up, learn more about how constituencies have changed over the years and read the various party manifestos to better understand the issues. If you rather consume this information through colourful illustrations and well-designed infographics, check out these Instagram accounts that are using their platforms to keep us informed and educated.
@newnaratif
New Naratif produces explainers on 'How Singapore's elections operate' and 'basic political concepts' you should know. Its managing director Thum Ping Tjin – a scholar, historian and Olympic athlete – also regularly produces videos that cover issues like foreign funding and the Oxley Road dispute. Besides local affairs, New Naratif believes in democracy, freedom of speech, and freedom of information in Southeast Asia – so you can stay up-to-date on what's going on in the region.
@ourgrandfatherstory
Our Grandfather Story is best known for its videos that cover local stories, people and places. But this election season, it has entered the fray by producing infographics that succinctly presents information first-time and younger voters. Besides guides on how to votes, here's an explainer on how you can be smart about forming your own opinions.
@illobyanngee
This illustration explains who's who in parliament and how our votes affect the seats. Anngee is an illustrator in Singapore who uses art to unpack social issues in her own unique way. Read our interview with her here.
@sgclimaterally
If you care about environmental issues and want to see which parties are implementing plans to combat climate change, check out this scoresheet by environmental activists, SG Climate Rally. Find even more ways you can do your part to be environmentally conscious on its platform.
@peonyzine.sg
For more useful information for first-time voters in GE2020, Peony Magazine has put together this helpful infographic. For alternative and indie culture issues, you can follow this locally based online zine.
@cape.sg
Ready for something meatier? Learn about parliamentary supermajority and how it affects laws that are made in Singapore. Cape describes itself as a community for advocacy and political education. The account is led by students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Yale-NUS and contains a lot of useful resources about politics in Singapore from their own research.
@byobottlesg
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