The Ministry of Interior is calling for the holders of more than 1 million expired identification cards to apply for new cards as soon as possible. The national elections will be held in July of this year.

In a February 3 notice, the ministry said that as of the end of last year, a total of 12,309,131 ID cards had been issued, 11,097,867 of them to those who had reached the age of 18.

Through its database, the ministry has determined that a total of 1,727,094 ID cards will expire before the national election.

As of January 2, a total of 616,721 updated cards had been issued, with the ministry warning that 1,110,373 card holders have not yet applied.

“It is possible that some of them have migrated, and others may be unaware their card is expiring soon,” said the notice.

The ministry said it has been sending officials out into remote communities to make it as easy as possible for people to apply for new ID cards.

“The ministry would like to inform workers who have migrated to Phnom Penh that they do not need to return to their hometowns to apply for updated ID cards. Application forms for new cards are available at the Department of Khmer Identification in Nirot commune, Chbar Ampov district, or at AEON mall in Sen Sok,” added the notice.