Melaka:The 14-day campaign period for the 16th Melaka State Election is coming to an end at 11.59 pm tonight, paving the way for voters to head to the polls tomorrow.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, a total of 675,166 ordinary voters are eligible to cast their ballots to elect representatives to the 28-seat State Legislative Assembly. Across the state, 240 polling stations, comprising 1,213 polling streams, are set to operate, with voting scheduled from 8 am to 6 pm.

In total, 687,697 registered voters are eligible to vote in the state election, including 12,531 military personnel and their spouses, as well as police personnel, who participated in early voting on Tuesday. Early voting saw 9,417 voters, or 94.96 percent of the 9,917 eligible early voters, cast their ballots at 31 polling centers, with an additional 2,614 voting by post.

A total of 79 candidates from various political parties and independents are contesting the 28 state seats following the nomination process on October 31. Pakatan Harapan is fielding the most candidates with 24, followed by Barisan Nasional with 23, Parti Bersama Malaysia with 16, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia with seven, Perikatan Nasional with five, Parti Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia with one, and three independents.

The state election is being held after the dissolution of the 15th Melaka State Legislative Assembly on September 23, with the consent of the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Melaka, Tun Mohd Ali Rustam. The previous state election on November 20, 2021, saw Barisan Nasional secure 21 of the 28 seats, while Pakatan Harapan won five and Perikatan Nasional two.