ROMPIN (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Polling for the Rompin by-election closed at 5pm on Tuesday, with official results expected to be announced at 11pm.

As at 5pm, voter turnout was at 73 per cent, with the official number of ballots cast to be announced later by the Election Commission. Voter turnout during the last general election was 85.9 per cent.

The ballot boxes will be brought to the Dewan Jubli Perak Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah in Kuala Rompin for tallying.

The late announcement of results is because of logistical issues as the Rompin constituency is bigger than Malacca and Negri Sembilan combined.

Several polling stations closed before 5pm because of its distance from Kuala Rompin.

The by-election was a straight fight between Barisan Nasional's Datuk Hasan Arifin and PAS' Nazri Ahmad.

The seat fell vacant after incumbent of 23 years Tan Sri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis was killed in a helicopter crash along with five others on April 4 near Semenyih.

In the 2013 general election, Dr Jamaluddin retained the seat by beating former Wanita PAS chief Nuridah Mohd Salleh with a majority of 15,114 votes.

The by-election is the ninth to be called since the 13th general election in May 2013.

The constituency has 53,294 registered voters, comprising 52,744 ordinary voters, 545 early voters and five absentee voters.