JOHOR BARU – The Pulai by-election had a low turnout due to unfavourable weather conditions, said Election Commission (EC) chief Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh.
He said that as of 1pm, only 29% of voters had cast their ballots for the Johor parliamentary seat, compared to 39% for the Simpang Jeram state by-election.
However, he said the voting process in both by-elections had been smooth and hoped that the target turnout of over 70% would be achieved.
“Most voters who turned up this morning were in channels one, two and three, and younger individuals might take some extra time to cast their votes later in the afternoon,” he told a press conference after observing the voting process at SMK Taman Bukit Indah here today.
Ghani also urged eligible voters to fulfil their responsibilities as the weather in Pulai had improved after heavy rain around 9.30am.
Earlier, a check found that voters, including those in SMK Taman Bukit Indah, braved the heavy rain with umbrellas to exercise their right to vote.
A total of 205,810 voters are eligible to cast their ballot in the by-elections, including 165,509 in Pulai and 40,301 in Simpang Jeram.
There are 47 polling centres in the Pulai constituency and 14 polling centres with 68 channels in the Simpang Jeram constituency. – September 9, 2023