Sri Lanka Holds Presidential Election Today

The voting process is to commence at 7 a.m. tomorrow and will be underway till 4 p.m. For tomorrow’s polls, 17,140,354 eligible voters will be eligible to cast their votes to elect the President among 39 candidates.

Chairman of the Election Commission said that police have been tasked to use maximum force if any person behaves riotously in and around the polling centres on the day of the Presidential election including arresting such individuals who break the law. 

ElC Chairman R. M. A. L. Rathnayake said all necessary arrangements have been made to hold a peaceful free and fair election without any hindrances, interference, obstacles, violence and rigging with the assistance from the relevant authorities including the Police.

Special security will be provided by the police for the transport of ballot boxes and election officials and a special traffic plan is in place today around the polling stations, Police Media Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said.

The ballot boxes and election officials have been transported to 13,421 polling stations across the country in preparation for the voting at all the polling centres around the country in all districts, the Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake said. The number of issuing centres established for this purpose is 1,234 and more than 150,000 government officials have been deployed for polling station duties across the country.

The Police Media Spokesman Nihal Thalduva said that a total of 63,000 police officers have been deployed for the presidential election and other duties including security for the polling and counting centres.

Special security will be provided to safeguard the ballot boxes during transportation from polling centres to counting centres in all districts. 

Special security will be provided for the transport of ballot boxes and election officials and a special traffic plan is in place today around the polling stations,  DIG Nihal Thalduwa said.

There are 13,421 polling stations across the country in preparation for the voting at all the polling centres around the country in all districts, 

The number of issuing centres established for this purpose is 1,234 and more than 150,000 government officials have been deployed for polling station duties across the island.

Chairman of the Election 

He stressed that outdoor public screening on large screens of election results and crowds assembling on streets after voting and during the counting of votes and announcing election results, 

Lighting firecrackers, partying in the streets, sending off lighted balloons in the air are all strictly banned by law and police has been instructed to disperse such gatherings or arrest and advised all people to stay indoors and view the election results in private at their homes.

Election Commission and surrounding areas will be declared a High Security Zone from tomorrow until the final results are announced.