It also includes the by-election process for the Bugaya state seat in Sabah which could not be held earlier following the proclamation of emergency to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Election Commission (EC) set Nov 19 as polling day and Nov 15 for early voting. The campaign period is 14 days, starting from today’s announcement on the candidates contesting in the polls until 11.59pm on Nov 18.

Apart from the 222 parliamentary seats, the election for 116 state seats in Perlis, Pahang and Perak would also be held simultaneously after the state assemblies were dissolved following the dissolution of the 14th Parliament on Oct 10.

The electoral rolls to be used for GE15, the state polls and the Bugaya by-election would be the latest August 2022 Supplementary Electoral Roll as updated on Oct 9, 2022.

The states led by Pakatan Harapan (PH) – Penang, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor – as well as those led by PAS – Terengganu, Kelantan and Kedah – have opted not to hold their state elections simultaneously with GE15.

Four other states had held their state polls separately over the last two years, with Sabah having its election on Sept 26, 2020; Melaka (Nov 20, 2021); Sarawak (Dec 18, 2021) and Johor (March 12, 2022).

Before the dissolution of Parliament, the composition of seats in the Dewan Rakyat saw Pakatan Harapan (PH) having 90 seats, followed by Perikatan Nasional (45), Barisan Nasional (BN) (43), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) (19), Warisan (7), Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) (6), Pejuang (4), independents (3), and Muda, Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) and STAR having one seat each.

Two seats were vacant following the death of the incumbents, Hasbullah Osman (BN-Gerik) and Liew Vui Keong (Warisan-Batu Sapi). There were no by-elections held for these seats following the proclamation of emergency to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.