PUTRAJAYA, June 12 — The Election Commission (EC) today announced the polling dates for the upcoming state elections in Johor and Negeri Sembilan, setting the stage for a high-stakes political showdown in the southern region.
EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun confirmed that Johor voters will head to the polls on July 11, with nomination day scheduled for June 27 and early voting taking place on July 7.
Negeri Sembilan will follow shortly after, with polling day set for August 1.
Nominations for the state will be held on July 18, followed by early voting on July 28.
“For the 16th Johor state polls, the number of voters as of the updated electoral on 31 May 2026, are 2,727,926,” Ramlan said at a press conference here to announce the dates.
“For the 16th Negeri Sembilan elections, there will be 889,490 voters,” the EC chairman added.
The EC said postal voters would be divided into three categories: 1A, 1B and 1C.
For Johor, Category 1A voters, comprising election workers and security personnel deployed for polling duties, must apply for postal voting by June 24.
Categories 1B and 1C – Malaysians living abroad and members of agencies or organisations approved by the EC – have until June 19 to submit their applications.
In Negeri Sembilan, applications for postal voting open today.
Category 1A voters, which include EC personnel, police officers, military personnel and accredited media practitioners on election duty, must apply by July 15.
Applications from Categories 1B and 1C must be submitted by July 10.
The EC’s decision to schedule the two state elections nearly a month apart comes amid expectations that both polls would be held simultaneously.
The EC estimates the combined cost of the two state elections at RM167.4 million, comprising RM86.8 million for Johor and RM80.6 million for Negeri Sembilan.
In Johor, incumbent Barisan Nasional (BN) has said it will contest all 56 state seats.
BN won 40 seats in the 2022 state election, while Pakatan Harapan (PH) secured 12 and Perikatan Nasional (PN) four.
In Negeri Sembilan, PH has also announced plans to contest all 36 state seats.
PH currently holds 17 seats, followed by BN with 14 and PN with five.
BN and PH are partners in the federal unity government.