Singaporeans headed to the polls Friday to elect a new president for the first time in more than a decade.

The election to replace incumbent Halimah Yacob will also be a measure of support for the ruling party that has been hounded by political scandals.

The frontrunner is former deputy prime minister and finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, a long-time People's Action Party stalwart before he resigned ahead of his candidacy.

The opposition's candidate is former insurance executive Tan Kin Lian, 75.

The third contender, Ng Kok Song, 75, is the former chief investment officer of Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC, which manages the country's foreign reserves.

The vote will have no exit polls before a result is announced late Friday night.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong heads the PAP, which has ruled Singapore continuously since 1959.

The election of Shanmugaratnam could boost the PAP's chances in the 2025 parliamentary election.

The PAP suffered its worst-ever election performance in 2020 but maintained its more than two-thirds majority in parliament.

WITH AFP