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Call for new systems to enable everyone to vote
View(s):By Kasun Warakapitiya and Kevin Alwis
While voting is a fundamental right enjoyed by Sri Lankans, there are some who did not vote yesterday due to voter apathy, personal or official obligations, lack of identification documentation, or failure to register as a voter.
On average, around 20 to 25 percent of voters fail to cast their votes at an election due to disinterest in the electoral process.
Others who miss out on voting include people engaged in essential services on election day and private sector employees who work in areas far away from their residences and are unable to return home due to work obligations.
There is also a significant number who could not vote as they do not possess a valid identification document, which is mandatory to vote.
Small-time businessman Sujith Prasanna (53), a resident of Sahasrapura flats at Maradana in Colombo, said he lost his National Identity Card, and even though he tried to vote using a photocopy of the card and a police report, he was denied the opportunity to vote.
“This is unfair. They can use my poll card to identify me. The vote is my right. There should be some mechanism to identify a person. I voted in the 2005, 2015, and 2019 elections. Why can’t they use that information to allow me to vote?” he asked.
The absence of an advanced voting system is one reason that many lose out on the chance to vote.
Maradana bakery employee K. Selvaraj (56) from Idalgashinna in the Badulla district said he did not have the opportunity to vote as he was unable to register himself as a voter.
He said that as he was unable to vote, he stayed at the bakery to work while the other employees had obtained leave to cast their votes.
Among those who could not vote were private bus drivers and conductors who transport passengers between Colombo and remote areas. They were not able to travel back to their residence on time to cast their votes.
They expressed their frustration at being unable to fulfil their civic duty due to work.
Private bus driver R. Lakshman (42) who lives in Kalatuwawa and operates on the Homagama-Pettah route shared his concerns over being unable to cast his vote.
“I work on the private bus route from Homagama to Pettah. There were a massive number of passengers who were there on Friday and yesterday to travel out of Colombo. We deployed additional buses on the route and were unable to find time to vote,” he said.
Mr. Lakshman said by the time he returned home, the polls had closed.
Driver Rohan Dilruk, who is a resident in Homagama, expressed similar feelings.
“We provide a service that nobody seems to appreciate. On Election Day, we continue our work, ensuring that people can get to their homes to vote. Yet we are deprived the opportunity to vote,” he said.
He expressed his disappointment over the issue and said the government and politicians had not considered the value of their votes.
Ceramic company employee Ruwan Tharaka, 33, who is a resident of Polpithigama in Kurunegala, pointed out that he could not vote as it was difficult for him to bear the travel expenses.
“I’ve been working in Badulla for the past four months. To travel back to my hometown in Kurunegala to vote costs around Rs. 5,000 by bus; I simply cannot afford this cost. Not a single politician has reached out to ask how people like us will vote. Therefore, I decided not to vote.”
Recently, the discussions regarding an advanced voting mechanism for Sri Lanka gained more traction with the presidential election. Even though the discussions around advanced voting systems are relatively new for Sri Lanka, the concept is gaining more attention given its potential benefits for improving electoral participation and reducing crowding at polling stations.
Advanced voting, also known as early voting, refers to a system where voters are allowed to cast their ballots before the official election day. This system is implemented in various forms worldwide, primarily to improve voter turnout, offer convenience, and ensure more inclusive participation by those who might face difficulties voting on the set date.
The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) said close to three million people were not able to use their voting rights in the 2019 presidential election, and the discussion about a potential advanced voting mechanism has been going on for a few years now.
Sri Lanka’s election laws do not have provisions for widespread advanced voting, unlike countries such as the United States or Australia.
The election is held on a single day, except for exceptions made for public officials and security personnel engaging in election duties.
For the past two decades, the Election Commission, along with many election monitoring groups, civil society organisations, and experts, have voiced the need for an advanced voting system.
Such a facility would benefit essential workers like health sector employees, Sri Lankan migrant workers, whose participation is often limited due to travel restrictions, and disabled or elderly voters.
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