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Voters encouraged to make informed decisions
View(s):By Kevin De Alwis
Election officials are encouraging Lankans to use their vote next week in what is a regarded as a decisive presidential contest.
Election Commission Chairman R M A L Ratnayake said they expect a strong voter turnout.
Even before the presidential election was announced, the EC launched a registration to sign up all eligible voters, especially the 76,000 Lankans who are above 18 years of age.
The EC campaign, including ads on social media, is emphasising the importance of the vote, Mr Ratnayake said.
He said arrangements have been made to ensure a smooth vote.
Voters with special needs will be provided with access. A tactile ballot paper is available for the visually impaired. Sign language help will also be available, he said.
Mr Ratnayake said the EC has posted the voting process and procedure on its official website and social media platforms. Posters will be on display at booths.
Manjula Gajanayake, executive director of the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies, has said in a recent interview: “Compared with other countries such as the UK and USA, where well-structured curricula are being established to educate (about) voting, Sri Lanka is still at a basic level.
He said the Election Commission, “is following a more friendly approach and a relationship with the civil organisations and election monitoring groups. This is mainly due to the lack of resources. They welcome the help of these support groups. An additional commissioner has been appointed to maintain a good relationship with these parties’’.
Regarding efforts to educate voters, Mr Gajanayake said: “The Election Commission this time took a radical route to initiate a new approach to register all the eligible voters, where the registration procedure was done three times per year replacing the previous system of registering voters just once a year, paving the way for all the 18-year-olds to cast the vote. They potentially could have missed the opportunity under the previous system.’’
Mr Gajanayake said the EC, alongside the civil organisations and election monitors, is carrying out 24 educational programmes for voters on a district basis. Provincial workshops and awareness programmes are also being carried out.
| How to cast your vote The elector must carry one of any identity documents, that is, the National Identity Card or documents approved by the Election Commission such as a valid passport, valid driving license, senior citizens identity card, government pensioners’ identity card, identity card issued to clergy, or temporary identity card issued by the Election Commission through Grama Niladhari. Carry the official poll card. 1) The first officer examines the identity document and tallies the persons face with the photograph in the identity document and if they are satisfied about the identity, they direct the elector to the second officer. 2) The second officer asks for the official poll card carried by the elector, finds their name in the electoral register, asks the name of the elector, and announces the name and the serial number of the elector loudly. If there is no objection they direct the elector to the next officer. 3) The third officer examines the little finger of the left hand of the elector and applies indelible ink round the little finger. If the elector refuses applying indelible ink they will not be able to cast a vote. After applying ink, the next officer will issue a ballot paper to the voter. 4) Voters have to go to the covered cubicle with the ballot paper and mark the vote to the party or group of their choice. Mark preferences to not more than the number of candidates required, identified by the serial numbers given to them. The voter should properly fold the ballot paper into two or if necessary into four and put it in the ballot box. | |
| Why you should vote 1) The vote is a fundamental right of all eligible citizens to elect the leader of the country for a specific term. 2) Defacing the ballot, or refusing to vote, might have an impact on the final outcome of the election. |
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