Low voter turnout in Seri Setia by-election

Asila Jalil Asila Jalil Updated 7 years ago · Published on 8 Sep 2018 6:07PM · 2 Comments

Voters waiting in line to cast their ballots in the Seri Setia by-election today. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, September 8, 2018.

A TOTAL of 41% of registered voters in Seri Setia have cast their ballots as of 4pm according to the Election Commission (EC).

There are 53,492 voters in the constituency.

The number is slightly lower than the Sg Kandis by-election on August 4 which saw a total of 45% of registered voters casting their ballots by 4pm. Sg Kandis recorded the second lowest voter turnout at 49.4%.

The lowest turnout record was set in 2009 in the Penanti, Penang by-election.

The Seri Setia by-election is being held simultaneously with the Balakong by-election.

The Election Commission had been hoping for a 70% voter turnout as the by-elections are happening a mere four months after the 14th general election on May 9.

The Seri Setia seat fell vacant following the death of its assemblyman Shaharuddin Badaruddin from colon cancer on August 2.

The seat is being contested by PH’s Halimey Abu Bakar of PKR and Dr Halimah Ali from Pas.

The final voter turnout will be announced by the EC when the official results are announced.

According to the think tank Institut Darul Ehsan (IDE), voter turnout among youth aged 21-30 years was particularly low, at 14%.

IDE also said only 15.4% of registered Chinese voters had cast their ballot as of 5.30pm.

Bad weather, voter fatigue and the long weekend may have attributed to the low turnout rate for the by-election.  – September 8, 2018.







 

Sign up or sign in here to comment.

Comments

  • Maybe this was a successful election ploy by EC... they say now the low turn out was because of the long holidays... Well, who fixed the date for the Polls??!!

    Posted 7 years ago by Thiruchelvam Thirunavukarasu · Reply

  • The rats must still be actively operating in the EC. Its time the Government flushes out the remaining Board of Directors at the EC and place it on a clean slate by making the necessary and required reforms.

    Posted 7 years ago by Thiruchelvam Thirunavukarasu · Reply