Here’s how the Election Commission is counting the second preference votes

For the first time in the country’s electoral history of Presidential elections, the second preference votes are being counted to determine the ninth Executive President of the country as no candidates obtained fifty per cent of the votes. 

As per Section 57 of  Presidential Elections Act No. 15 of 1981, all candidates except NPP candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake and SJB Sajith Premadasa will be eliminated from the race. 

The ballots of the other candidates will be considered for the recount. Among them, those who casted a second preference for either Mr Dissanayake or Mr Premadasa will be counted as a valid preferential vote. 

If a ballot does not contain a first or second preference for either Mr Dissanayake or Mr Premadasa, then that ballot's third preference will be counted. 

For example, if someone voted first for Mr Wickremesinghe, second for Mr Premadasa and third for Mr Dissanayake, their vote will count towards Mr Premadasa only. Their third preference for Mr. Dissanayake will not be considered. If someone voted first for Mr Wickremesinghe, second for Mr Ariyanethiran and third for Mr Dissanayake, their vote will count towards Mr Dissanayake. 

As a result, each voter who did not vote for either Mr Dissanayake or Mr Premadasa will have the equal opportunity for their second or third preference to be counted towards the final result.