KOTA KINABALU, Sept 22  -- Seventy-six per cent of the 16,877 early voters for the Sabah state election, comprising mostly police and military personnel, as well as their spouses, cast their votes today amid COVID-19.

The Election Commission (EC) recorded the voter turnout after all the 55 early voting centres, which opened simultaneously at 8am, were closed at 5 pm.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador, when met at the Sabah Police Contingent headquarters here, said that 270 police officers and personnel could not cast their votes today as they were under quarantine for COVID-19.

Also present was EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh.

All early voting centres were also found to have complied with the standard operating procedures (SOP) to curb the spread of COVID-19, including by providing hand sanitiser and checking body temperature of the voters.

The Sabah ordinary voters will go to the polls this Saturday.

-- BERNAMA