POLLING for the 16th Melaka state election ended at 6 pm today, bringing voting to a close across all 28 constituencies as the focus shifts to the counting of ballots and the announcement of results tonight.
The first results are expected by 9.30pm, with the Election Commission (EC) anticipating that the full results will be known before 12.30 am.
EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun said the announcement would depend on the counting process and the arrival of ballot boxes at the respective tallying centres.
Votes are being counted at polling centres before the results are transmitted to constituency tallying centres and subsequently conveyed to Wisma Persekutuan in Ayer Keroh for the official announcement.
The final voter turnout figure has yet to be confirmed.
The EC’s real-time monitoring dashboard recorded a turnout of 69.18 % as at 5 pm, with the figure approaching the commission’s target of at least 70%.
Serkam registered the highest turnout at 77.21%, followed by Ayer Molek at 76.14%, Tanjung Bidara at 73.99% and Sungai Rambai at 73.79%.
Bandar Hilir recorded the lowest turnout at 55.58%, followed by Kota Laksamana at 60.20% and Sungai Udang at 61.08%.
A total of 240 polling centres, comprising 1,213 polling streams, were opened at 8 am to accommodate voters.
The election saw 79 candidates contesting the 28 seats, with Pakatan Harapan (PH) fielding 24 candidates and Barisan Nasional (BN) 23.
Parti Bersama Malaysia is contesting 16 seats, while Bersatu is fielding seven candidates under its own logo. Another five candidates are contesting under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) banner.
Parti Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) is contesting one seat, while three independent candidates are also in the race.
The state election followed the dissolution of the Melaka State Legislative Assembly on Sept 23, with the consent of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Mohd Ali Rustam.
At the previous state election in November 2021, BN won 21 of the 28 seats, securing a two-thirds majority. PH took five seats, while PN won the remaining two.
Tonight’s results will determine the composition of the new state assembly and whether the political balance established in 2021 will be maintained or altered. – November 14, 2026
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