ROMPIN: The Rompin by-election early voting exercise on Thursday will involve 545 policemen and military staff.
Election Commission (EC) secretary Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh said the voters - 260 policemen and 285 army personnel - would cast their ballots at four polling centres in the constituency.
He said polling at the Royal Malaysian Air Force 322 Squadron's Dewan Seri Ibam in Bukit Ibam and district police headquarters was between 8am and 5pm.
"The voting centre at the Muadzam Shah police station and Tekek police station's information centre (Pulau Tioman) will be open between 8am and 2pm. The sealed boxes will be kept in the police station until normal polling day on May 5.
"The ballot papers will be counted and recorded starting 4pm on polling day at centres set up by the EC," he said today.
Ghani said based on the EC's electoral roll for the third quarter of 2014, which was updated until April 4 this year, a total of 53,294 registered voters were expected to cast their votes.
He said the registry comprised 52,744 normal voters, 545 early voters and another five voters were not eligible to cast their ballots as they currently lived abroad.
Meanwhile, head of the police media centre for the Rompin by-election, Superintendent Abdul Aziz Mahmud said 31 reports were lodged by both Barisan Nasional and Pas in the first seven days of the campaign period.
He said five investigation papers were opened for reports involving sabotage, extortion and drug offence.
"Two EC enforcement officers who brought down banners that did not display the contesting party logo had also lodged police reports.
"A banner was removed at Felda Selendang and three at Sungai Meranti in Tanjung Gemok. Police are looking for the culprits who were involved in displaying the banners," he said.