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EARLY voting for the 17th Sabah state election is underway today, with 24,426 registered early voters expected to fulfil their civic duty across the state. The group comprises 11,697 military personnel and their spouses, alongside 12,729 police officers and their partners.
Fifty-eight early polling centres opened simultaneously at 8am and will close in stages throughout the day. These include facilities at the Sabah Contingent Police Headquarters in Kota Kinabalu, district police headquarters and military camps across the state.
Weather conditions are expected to vary, with the Malaysian Meteorological Department forecasting rain and thunderstorms in several areas throughout the day.
Unlike regular polling, early ballots will not be counted immediately. All votes cast today will be securely kept before being tallied on the main polling day scheduled for 29 November.
With early voting concluded, attention now shifts to Saturday’s state-wide vote, marking the climax of a campaign period that began on 15 November and will officially end at 11.59pm on 28 November.
This election sees 596 candidates vying for 73 seats in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly, including 74 independents who have entered the contest.
Meanwhile, a total of 3,067 military personnel and their spouses are set to cast their ballots during early voting at Sekolah Agama Rakyat Kem Lok Kawi in Putatan on Tuesday.
A survey by Sinar Harian found that as early as 7am, voters were already gathered in the compound of the polling centre.
In a scene that drew attention, several personnel arrived with their children, some carrying their little ones as they waited for the voting process to begin at around 8am. - November 25, 2025