Sabah polling concludes as counting begins amid record candidate line-up

Polling for the 17th Sabah General Election has officially concluded, marking the start of vote counting across the state.

Voter turnout reached 60.94 per cent, with 1,062,114 of the 1.78 million eligible voters casting their ballots, according to the Election Commission (EC).

This figure slightly trails the 62.09 per cent recorded at the same point during the 2020 State Election.

Voting began at 7.30am across 882 polling centres and 3,559 channels and proceeded in stages until full closure at 5.30pm. The EC had earlier targeted a 70 per cent turnout for the poll.

“The counting of votes will commence immediately after polling stations close, with the process conducted under the supervision of candidate representatives,” the EC said, noting that postal and early votes in some constituencies had already begun being tallied since midday.

Preliminary results are expected around 10pm, though severe weather could potentially delay the transport of ballot boxes. Full results are anticipated by midnight.

The election drew a record 596 candidates contesting 73 state seats, representing 22 political parties as well as independent entrants.

After 14 days of campaigning, Sabahans turned out in significant numbers to exercise their democratic right to select representatives for the state legislature.

As the state prepares for the official announcement of results, the focus now shifts to the counting centres where ballot boxes will be transported under tight supervision, marking the final stage of a fiercely contested election.