The result of the Teluk Intan parliamentary by-election tomorrow is expected to be announced as early as 9pm, said Election Commission (EC) Perak director Ahmad Adli Abdullah.

He said the counting of votes would be carried out soon after the polling centres close at 5pm.

"One polling centre, at SRJK (T) Ladang Sungai Timah, which has one stream, would be closed one hour early, at 4pm, as the number of voters is small," he told reporters after a visit to the vote-tallying centre at SMK Abdul Rahman Talib here.

He said the first ballot box was expected to arrive at the tallying centre at 6.30pm.

The by-election will see 59,927 ordinary voters casting their ballots at 35 polling centres which have a total of 120 polling streams.

During the early voting on May 27, some 95.61 percent or 392 of the 410 voters cast their ballots.

Asked about the percentage of voters expected to go to the polls, he said the EC expected a turnout of 80 percent, similar to the percentage during the 13th general election.

He said the preparations for the polling day were going on smoothly. Ahmad Adli reminded the political parties involved in the by-election to observe the regulations set out in the Elections Act and the Elections Offences
Act, which included a prohibition on campaigning after midnight today.

"Political parties should also remember not to set up booths near the polling centres tomorrow because the EC has provided booths to check the electoral rolls," he said.

He also reminded voters to bring their identity card and determine their voting streams, and not to wear clothes which promoted any political party.

The by-election is a straight fight between Datuk Mah Siew Keong, 53, of the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, 27, of the DAP.

It is being held following the death of the MP, Seah Leong Peng, 48, of the DAP, on May 1.