BENTONG, Oct 7 — The polling process for the Pelangai state by-election, which began at 8 this morning, concluded at 6pm when all nine polling centres were closed.

All ballot boxes, from 30 streams, will be taken to the vote-tallying centre at Dewan Orang Ramai Felda Kemasul, here, before the official results, expected to be announced at 9 tonight.

At 4pm, the Election Commission (EC) reported that the voter turnout had reached 64 per cent.

There is a total of 16,456 eligible voters in the state seat by-election, including 73 postal ballots, issued for 36 police personnel, and three overseas absentee voters.

However, no early voting centres were open for the by-election, even though early voting was set for October 3, after the EC issued 73 ballot papers to those eligible for postal voting.

The Pelangai by-election is witnessing a three-cornered battle between Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Datuk Amizar Abu Adam, Kasim Samat of Perikatan Nasional (PN) and independent candidate Haslihelmy DM Zulhasni. — Bernama