Campaigning for the 2024 General Election will end at midnight today.
Campaigning during the ‘silent period’ from midnight on Monday (11) until Election Day on Thursday (14) is strictly prohibited, Election Commission (EC) Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said.
The EC Chairman while noting that voting is a legal right granted to the citizens by the Constitution urged voters to exercise their vote.
The EC Chairman said that the index finger on the left hand will be used for marking on those who cast their votes at the Parliamentary Election as the little finger on the left hand has been marked at the Presidential Election and the thumb has been marked at the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha Election held recently.
One of the following nine documents is mandatory to be produced by voters at the polling stations as proof of personal identity in order for ballot papers to be issued to them to cast their votes.
The documents that can be produced to verify identity by voters at polling stations are the old or new National Identity Card issued by the Department of Registration of Persons, a valid foreign passport, a valid driving licence, the old and new Pensioners’ Identity Card issued by the Department of Pensions, the Elders’ Identity Card issued by the Divisional Secretariat, the Bikkhu or Priest Identity Card issued by the Department of Registration of Persons, a letter issued by the Department of Registration of Persons confirming the particulars of the National Identity Card, a temporary Identity Card issued by the Election Commission and a temporary Identity Card issued to disabled persons by the Election Commission.
The ballot paper should be marked for one political party or one independent group by the voter only with the ‘X’ symbol and the same ‘X’ symbol is to be applied to preference votes from a minimum of one candidate to a maximum of three candidates.
Ballot papers marked with ‘X’ symbol for a political party as well as an independent group will be rejected. Also, ballot papers marked with ‘X’ symbol for more than three candidates will be rejected and any identification mark written or drawn on ballot papers will also be rejected, the EC Chairman said.
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