Melaka is heading to the polls on Saturday, 14 November 2026, for the 16th state election. According to Bernama, nomination day on 31 October ended with 79 candidates competing for the 28 seats in the State Legislative Assembly. The campaign period runs for 14 days and ends at 11.59pm on 13 November, after which there is a cooling-off period before voters head to the polling centres.
A total of 687,697 voters are eligible to vote in this election. They consist of 675,166 ordinary voters, 9,769 military personnel and their spouses, and 2,762 police personnel. The Election Commission deployed a large police presence during nomination, with 1,159 personnel on duty statewide to keep the process orderly. Parties from Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional are contesting, along with Parti Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) and independent candidates.
Eleven constituencies have been identified as key battlegrounds. One of them is Tanjung Bidara, where Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ab Rauf Yusoh of BN faces Pakatan Harapan newcomer Mohd Yunazri Mustamiri, who has described himself as an underdog. Other contests, such as the multi-cornered fights reported in seats like Kesidang and Sungai Udang, show how crowded the field has become this time.
For context, the previous state election in November 2021 saw Barisan Nasional win 21 of the 28 seats, comprising 18 for Umno, two for MCA and one for MIC, which gave the coalition a more than two-thirds majority. Pakatan Harapan won five seats and Perikatan Nasional two. This year, the dynamics are different because the unity government now includes both BN and PH at the federal level, while campaign messages have focused on cost of living, state administration and federal economic performance.
Voters should bring their identity card, check their polling centre and stream through the Election Commission's channels, and follow the official results announced on the night of 14 November. Those who plan to travel back to Melaka are advised to leave early, as roads are expected to be busy ahead of polling day.
News sources (nofollow): Bernama: Campaign kicks off, 79 candidates | Bernama: 28 nomination centres closed | The Star
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