MERLIMAU: The Election Commission (EC) is hoping for at least 70% voter turnout in the Melaka polls on Saturday (Nov 14), urging voters to cast their ballots despite the possibility of rain.
EC deputy chairman Dr Azmi Sharom said the commission hoped for strong participation as the polls involved the entire state rather than a single constituency.
“We hope for 70%. That is usually a good number, especially since this is a state election and not a by-election.
“We hope as many people as possible will come out and vote,” he told reporters after inspecting final polling preparations at Politeknik Merlimau here on Friday (Nov 13).
Azmi also reminded all candidates, political parties and their supporters that campaigning must end by 11.59pm on Friday, for both physical campaigning and online activities, including social media.
“Please stop campaigning by midnight. Enough campaigning. People have already heard what you have to say.
“That includes online campaigning. Be patient until the election is over. Whether you want to celebrate or cry, do it after the election,” he said.
On the weather forecast, Azmi acknowledged the possibility of rain on polling day but urged voters not to let it discourage them from casting their ballots.
“If possible, come early. Otherwise, bring an umbrella. Come out and vote even if it rains. Whatever happens, the most important thing is to vote,” he said.
Asked when the full election results could be expected, Azmi said it was difficult to provide an exact timeframe because ballot boxes must first reach their respective vote-tallying centres.
He said unforeseen circumstances, including heavy rain or flooding, could affect the process.
Azmi said the results would generally not take too long to be finalised, suggesting that they could be available around midnight, although he stressed that the timing could not be guaranteed.
Azmi also confirmed that the EC would continue using its Optical Character Recognition-Voters Attendance (OCR-VA) system to provide real-time voter turnout information.
He said the system allowed members of the public, political analysts and other interested parties to monitor voter turnout through the commission’s website without waiting for hourly updates.
“Previously, we had to wait for updates every hour. Now, you can get the figures in real time.
“This is useful data not only for us but also for political analysts and anyone interested in the election,” he said.
Azmi acknowledged that election workers needed time to familiarise themselves with the system but described the system as simple and accurate, adding that its implementation formed part of the commission’s efforts to modernise election administration.
He also assured voters that the system would not compromise ballot secrecy or significantly affect the time needed to cast their votes.
“It does not affect the secrecy of your vote. It also does not seriously affect the time taken to vote.
“This is one of our efforts to modernise the electoral system, and we hope the public and all stakeholders will view it positively as an attempt to improve the voting process,” he said.
Meanwhile, Azmi encouraged voters to check their polling centres and voting streams through the MySPR Semak platform before heading out on Saturday.
He said doing so would help avoid confusion and delays, particularly among voters who might mistakenly turn up at the wrong polling centre.
“If you have access to MySPR, please check your polling centre and voting stream before coming.
“If you are unsure or do not have internet access, you can come early and check with our election workers at the information booths outside the polling centres,” he said.
Azmi said preparations for polling day were in their final stages, with election workers arranging ballot boxes and other essential materials at Politeknik Merlimau.
He said polling station chiefs and other election personnel had also been introduced to the police officers assigned to escort and assist them.
“All that has been done. We are now completing the final preparations for Saturday’s voting,” he said.
