News
1, 2, 3 or X, polls chief explains voting procedure
View(s):Voters can vote for a single candidate and, if they wish, they can cast their second and third preferences to two more candidates, National Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said, explaining the voting procedure for the November 16 presidential poll.
“We advice people to cast their vote by marking number 1 in the box in front of the candidate of their choice and then mark 2 and 3 in the boxes of two other candidates, if they prefer multiple candidates,” he said.
The polls chief said if the voters did not wish to indicate their second and third preferences, they could cast their vote for only one candidate by marking the traditional cross in the box in front of the name of the candidate.
Mr. Deshapriya said that in terms of the election law, the numbering method is preferred, but if a voter chooses only one candidate, the vote is still valid.
However, he warned voters not to use numbers and crosses simultaneously as it could invalidate their votes.
