KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 -- As Johor prepares to head to the polls on July 11, political parties are bracing for a challenge far greater than their opponents: the ghost of voter apathy.

With nomination day set for June 27 and early voting on July 7, the central question remains whether the state can persuade its massive electorate to actually show up.

When Johor last voted in March 2022, it witnessed a dismal turnout of just 54.92 per cent.

It was a historic low for modern Malaysian elections, occurring despite the state having more registered voters than ever before.

Out of nearly 2.6 million eligible voters, only 1,426,573 ballots were cast.

The contrast is jarring. In 2018, turnout stood at a robust 84.51 per cent with over 1.5 milli...