Johor takes centre stage today as more than 2.7 million registered voters cast their ballots in the 16th Johor State Election (PRN), deciding the fate of 56 seats in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) and determining the state’s leadership for the next five years.
Polling officially began at 8am with 1,076 polling centres involving 4,889 voting streams opening simultaneously across the state. The voting process follows the conclusion of the 14-day campaign period, which ended at midnight on Friday. The outcome of today’s election is expected to shape Johor’s political landscape and influence its future direction.
Polling centres will close in stages between 11am and 6pm, depending on their respective locations, before the vote counting process begins. The earliest polling station to close is on Pulau Besar at 11am, followed by Pulau Aur and Pulau Pemanggil at noon, while the majority of polling centres will end voting at 6pm.
To ensure the election proceeds smoothly, the Election Commission (EC) has deployed 43,036 election workers throughout Johor. Meanwhile, all 24,677 postal ballots must be returned before the 6pm deadline. The EC is targeting a voter turnout of around 70 per cent, with the full election results expected to be known as early as 10pm tonight.
For comparison, voter turnout during the 2022 Johor state election stood at 54.92 per cent. Employers have also been reminded to provide employees with sufficient time to fulfil their voting responsibilities. Earlier this week, 20,607 early voters comprising police personnel, military members and their spouses had already cast their ballots.
Weather forecasts indicate morning showers in Johor Bahru, Batu Pahat, Kulai, Muar, Pontian and Tangkak, with conditions expected to improve later in the day. Thunderstorms are forecast in Kluang, Kota Tinggi and Segamat during the afternoon, while Mersing is expected to experience stormy weather from the afternoon into the evening.
A total of 172 candidates are contesting this election. Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) are fielding candidates in all 56 seats, while Perikatan Nasional (PN) is contesting 33 seats. Parti Bersama Malaysia is fielding 15 candidates, MUDA four, Parti Orang Asli Malaysia and Parti Sosialis Malaysia one each, alongside six Independent candidates.
Before the dissolution of the Johor State Legislative Assembly on June 1, BN held 40 seats, followed by PH with 12, PN with three and MUDA with one. The results of today’s polls will determine whether the current political balance remains or if voters choose a new mandate to lead Johor forward.
