While most Malaysians cast their ballots on the main polling day, two other mechanisms — early voting and postal voting — allow certain groups to vote ahead of time. With the Johor state election approaching, here is how each works.
Early voting, known as mengundi awal, is reserved for specific groups who may be on duty on polling day. These are military personnel and their spouses, and designated General Operations Force police personnel and their spouses. Early voting is always held at least three days before ordinary polling. For the 2026 Johor election, early voting falls on July 7, with ordinary polling on July 11. These voters attend designated early-voting centres and cast their ballots in person.
Postal voting, or undi pos, is for those who cannot vote in person at all. The Election Commission divides postal voters into categories. The domestic category covers election and commission staff on duty, police and army personnel unable to attend early voting because of their duties, and accredited media workers covering the election. A separate category covers eligible Malaysians living overseas. A further category covers members of approved agencies on duty on polling day, such as the fire and rescue department, maritime enforcement and police volunteer reserves.
It is worth noting that the rules for overseas voters changed in 2025, when the older overseas absentee voter registration process was replaced; eligible Malaysians abroad now generally apply for postal votes online. Because these rules have shifted, overseas voters should check the latest guidance directly from the Election Commission at spr.gov.my.
In all cases, eligible voters must apply to the commission within the timeframe it sets after the assembly is dissolved. Postal ballots are mailed out and must be returned by the stated deadline, while early voters attend their centre on the designated day. For the vast majority of Johor's 2.7 million voters, however, the route remains the same: turn up at your assigned polling centre on July 11.
