constituencies For the purposes of parliamentary elections, Singapore is divided into electoral divisions or constituencies (see map). Under the Constitution, Parliament consists of the number of Members of Parliament required to be returned by the constituencies. The total number of constituencies is determined by Parliament under the Parliamentary Elections Act.

From 1948— when the first Legislative Council election was held— to 1988, all constituencies in Singapore were single- member wards or single- member constituencies (SMCs). This meant that only one Member of Parliament could be elected for each constituency. In 1988, a constitutional amendment was passed to create a new type of constituency— the Group Representation Constituency (GRC). Under this system, between three and six members can stand for elections in a single ward, and are elected as a team instead of individually.

The number, size and nature of each constituency in Singapore is determined by the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee. As of 2006, there are 23 constituencies in Singapore, comprising nine SMCs, nine five- member GRCs and five six- member GRCs.