Johor polls: EC targets 70% voter turnout

JOHOR BAHRU: The Election Commission (EC) has targeted 70% of registered voters in Johor to turn up to cast their votes in the state election on March 12.

EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh said to encourage the voters to exercise their responsibility, the EC would run a ‘Jom Kita Undi’ (Let’s Vote) campaign through various methods, including by using social media, public service announcement, and putting up banners at strategic locations and public hotspots.

"The EC is also calling for cooperation from all quarters, including the media and political parties to take a similar approach to encourage the voters to cast their ballots.

"The EC will also continue providing live streaming of the election process at selected state constituencies on its Facebook page as practised in previous elections,” he said in a statement here on Wednesday (Feb 9).

Abdul Ghani said to ease the nomination process, the EC also advised candidates and their agents to fill in and check their nomination papers at their respective returning officer’s office or Johor EC office a day before.

He said candidates were also advised to pay their deposits early to ensure smooth running of the process during the nomination day.

"However, they are also reminded that the nomination papers can only be submitted by the candidate or his proposer or seconder, during the nomination period at the nomination centre set by the EC,” he said.

Abdul Ghani said the campaigning period has been set for 14 days from after the nomination till midnight on March 11.

Meanwhile, he said the EC, together with the Health Ministry and the National Security Council, were in the midst of finalising the standard operating procedures for the state election to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Earlier, Abdul Ghani announced that the polling for the 15th Johor state election would be on March 12, while the nomination on Feb 26 and early voting on March 8.

The Master Electoral Roll 2021 which was updated as of Jan 21, 2022, would be used for the state election. The electoral roll contains 2,597,742 voters, comprising 2,574,835 regular voters, 10,955 military personnel and their spouses, 11,576 police personnel and spouses and 376 absent voters who are overseas.

A total of 43,149 voters, who are persons with disabilities registered with the Social Welfare Department, will also cast their ballots at the polls.

Voters can check the details of their polling centres and channels at the pengundi.spr.gov.my portal or by calling 03-88927018 or via the MySPR Semak app from Feb 21. - Bernama