KOTA KINABALU, Nov 29 — Following 14 days of intense campaigning, polling day for the 17th Sabah State Election is now officially under way.

All 882 polling centres, comprising 3,559 streams, opened at 7.30am, giving 1.74 million registered voters the opportunity to exercise their democratic right to choose a new state government.

The polling centres will close in stages beginning at 12 noon, with all centres scheduled to cease operations by 5.30pm.

A total of 596 candidates from 22 political parties, along with 73 independents, are battling for 73 state seats in one of Sabah’s most keenly contested polls.

Among the most fiercely contested seats is Tulid, which has 14 candidates in the fray, followed by Bandau, Tamparuli and Inanam with 13 candidates each, and Banggi with 12.

The Election Commission (EC) has advised voters to cast their ballots early to avoid any inconvenience caused by unpredictable weather conditions.

A check on the Malaysian Meteorological Department’s website showed that rain was forecast in several areas in Sabah this morning, with thunderstorms expected over the interior this afternoon.

Further rainfall was also forecast for several areas this evening.

The EC expects voter turnout today to exceed 60 per cent, weather permitting.

The turnout in the 16th State Election in 2020 was 66.61 per cent.

In addition, the EC expects to announce the preliminary voting results at around 10pm, although this will depend on the prevailing weather conditions. Nevertheless, efforts will be made to ensure the results are released by midnight.

Employers are also reminded to allow their employees reasonable time off to vote, as the Sabah Government has declared today a public holiday.

Voters are reminded that mobile phones are prohibited inside polling stations and should be placed in the designated area provided.

They are also advised not to hand over their identity cards to anyone other than authorised election officials. — Bernama