By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Nov 6: Sarawak voters who have moved to a new address but have yet to update their voting constituency will not be able to do so in time for the 13th Sarawak Election on Dec 12 if they only submit their applications this month.
Applications to change voting addresses are processed and gazetted only at the end of the following month, meaning those submitted anytime in November will only take effect after polling day.
Strategic Communications Assistant Director of the Election Academy under the Election Commission (EC), Nomi Juliana Mohd Redzuan Min, said this during a briefing at Hilton Hotel here today, urging voters to understand that changing their residential address and updating their voting constituency were two separate processes.
“Even if you change your address on your IC 100 times, if you do not apply to the EC, your voting address will remain the first address recorded,” she said.
She explained that the EC did not automatically update a person’s voting constituency when they changed their address with the National Registration Department (NRD or JPN).
Instead, voters must first update their residential address with JPN before separately applying to the EC to change their voting constituency.
Nomi said applications received throughout a month were collected and gazetted at the end of the following month, regardless of when within the month they were submitted.
“For example, whether your birthday is on Nov 1, Nov 12, Nov 27 or Nov 30, we will gazette it at the end of the following month, which is Dec 31,” she said, explaining the monthly processing cycle for automatic voter registration.
She said this meant even those who submitted their applications at the beginning of November would not have their new voting addresses gazetted before the Dec 12 polling day.
Voters can apply to change their voting addresses at any EC counter, through its outreach programmes, selected post offices with registered computer facilities, or online via the MySPR portal at https://myspr.spr.gov.my.
Nomi clarified that automatic voter registration, which took effect on Dec 15, 2021, only applies to registering eligible Malaysians aged 18 and above and does not automatically change the voting constituencies of existing voters who relocate.
When the system was introduced, approximately 5.6 million voters were registered automatically, including about two million who were aged 18 at the time and another 3.6 million who had previously qualified but had not registered.
She urged the media to help spread awareness of the process, particularly among voters who might assume that updating their MyKad addresses was sufficient to change where they would vote.
Nevertheless, Nomi said those who missed the deadline for the Sarawak Election could still apply to change their voting constituencies in time for the next General Election (GE), which is due next year.
She said the 15th General Election (GE15) would reach its five-year mark in December 2027, meaning the country would be due for another general election next year.
“So, if you do not manage to change your voting address in time for the Sarawak State Election, perhaps you can do so for the next General Election,” she said. — DayakDaily
