The Election Commission (EC) today decided to allow all media staff who cannot cast their votes on polling day due to duty, to apply as postal voters.

This is also one of the proposal raised by the parliamentary select committee on electoral reform (PSC).

azlan “The EC agrees with the PSC’s proposal that media staff, under the Election (Postal Voting) Regulations 2003 section 3(1)(f), can apply to the returning officers of the constituencies where they are registered as voters, to become postal voters,” said EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof after a two-hour meeting with representatives from media organisations.

The decision will be conveyed to the PSC during a meeting on March 6.

Media staff including editors, journalists, camerapersons, photographers and supporting staff who are deployed to places outside of their registered constituencies on polling day are eligible to apply as postal voters subject to their supervisors’ endorsement.

“The endorsement from employers is very important so it will not be abused,” said EC deputy chief Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.

NONE Explaining further, Aziz ( right in photo, with Wan Ahmad ) said that under the current regulations,  media staff who have already registered as normal voters can make their application only after nomination day, with the condition that there is a contest in their constituencies.

“However, administratively the EC is ready to cooperate with media organisations to collect the names of media staff who are qualified as postal voters even before the nomination day. Administrative preparation can be done earlier,” said Aziz.

After their application is approved by the respective returning officers, postal votes will be mailed to where they are on duty. Then they will have to mail or hand their votes back to the same returning officers before 5pm on polling day.

This is the first time that media staff can exercise their democratic rights through postal votes.

However their voting status will be converted back to normal voters after the general election.