SEREMBAN, July 28 — The Election Commission (EC) is targeting a voter turnout of between 72 and 75 per cent for the 16th Negeri Sembilan State Election this Saturday, its chairman, Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun, said.

He said the target is based on the vibrant campaign atmosphere and the encouraging response from voters across the state, which are expected to drive a higher turnout on polling day.

“For this Saturday, given the lively campaign atmosphere in Negeri Sembilan, we believe a large number of voters will come out to cast their ballots.

“Insya-Allah, we hope all eligible voters will fulfil their civic responsibility by voting. Alhamdulillah, everything has been proceeding smoothly and in an orderly manner,” he told a press conference after inspecting the early voting process at the Port Dickson District Police Headquarters here today.

Meanwhile, Ramlan said the EC is aiming for at least a 90 per cent turnout among the 16,467 early voters, comprising military and police personnel, as well as their spouses, who are casting their ballots today.

As of 10am, early voter turnout stood at 34.26 per cent.

He said the number of eligible early voters had been revised from 22,339 to 16,467 after some voters who initially applied for early voting opted to vote by post instead.

Ramlan said the EC was not targeting a 100 per cent turnout for early voting due to unavoidable factors, including changes in the marital status of security personnel.

On election-related offences, he said the commission has received 206 complaints involving campaign materials so far.

All 38 early voting centres opened simultaneously at 8am today and will close in stages according to their respective schedules, with 18 centres closing at noon, two at 2pm, and the remaining 18 at 5pm.

A total of 103 candidates are contesting 36 state seats in the 16th Negeri Sembilan State Election, with 867,151 registered voters set to cast their ballots this Saturday.

For the latest news on the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election, visit [https://prn.bernama.com/n9](https://prn.bernama.com/n9). — Bernama