PUTRAJAYA: A total of 278,590 early voters, including police, military and general operations force personnel, as well as their spouses, will cast their ballots today at polling centres nationwide.
Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah said they were among a total of 300,255 registered early voters. The remaining 21,665, he added, were postal voters.
“Tomorrow (May 5), 585 polling centres with 910 voting channels will be open. The early voting process will be conducted according to the normal procedures, and will be handled by 6,376 election officers.
“The process will be witnessed by agents of contesting candidates and local election observers from non-governmental organisations appointed by the EC.”
He said most of the centres would be open from 8am to 5pm. But, a few polling centres would be closed between 1pm and 3pm, while others would be closed at 7pm.
Hashim said the ballot papers would not be tallied on the same day.
Instead, they would be kept in police lock-ups.
“The ballot papers will only be tabulated on May 9 from 4pm.
“The process will be witnessed by the candidates’ agents.” he said.