Johor bahru: The Election Commission (EC) has expressed satisfaction with the overall conduct of the 16th Johor state election, saying polling was carried out smoothly without any untoward incidents that could have affected the electoral process. EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun said registered voters had been able to exercise their democratic rights and responsibilities during polling yesterday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ramlan announced that voter turnout stood at 68.73 per cent, with 1,874,918 electors, including early, postal, and ordinary voters, casting their ballots. The EC plans to continue its unofficial election results display and grandstand initiative after receiving positive feedback since it was first introduced during the Kinabatangan by-election. This initiative allows the public to obtain election results more quickly and transparently, as the unofficial results are based on Form 14, which is also shared with candidates' agents.

Ramlan noted that while the initiative has proven beneficial, the EC would continue to review it from time to time to address any issues that may arise. He also mentioned that the EC is investigating incidents involving individuals who uploaded photographs of marked ballot papers on social media to prevent similar occurrences in future elections. Although the commission has noted several images circulating online, they have not been able to verify their origin.

Ramlan reiterated that EC regulations require voters to place their mobile phones in designated storage boxes before casting their ballots to ensure the integrity of the voting process. In the election, Barisan Nasional (BN) emerged victorious, winning 48 of the 56 state seats contested, while Pakatan Harapan (PH) secured the remaining eight.