PUTRAJAYA, July 5 — Polling day for elections in Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu is on August 12, the Election Commission (EC) announced today.

Nomination day will be on July 29, giving candidates 14 days to campaign officially, EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh said in a press conference to announce the dates here.

Early voting was set for August 8, a Saturday.

Applications for overseas postal voters, which have been open since June 15, will end July 8, while domestic postal voter applications will be closed on July 26.

The August 12 polls will see 245 state legislative seats from six state assemblies contested.

Political observers have touted the elections as a test for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s eight-month leadership, whose ruling coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH) will bid to defend Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan from a resurgent Perikatan Nasional.

Selangor and Penang have been PH’s stronghold states since 2008 but some pundits believe that could change after Anwar decided to align with Umno.

PN, led by the Islamists PAS, are the incumbent in Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah.

Both sides have boasted about growing support, with PH claiming it is "likely” to make a dent in Kelantan and Kedah, while PN leaders said the coalition is making significant inroads in Selangor and Penang.

Abdul Ghani said the EC will deploy a team of 250 observers.