Ballot paper price increases fourfold, more candidates cost taxpayers dearly

*Ballot paper lengthened in case of more candidates

Colombo, August 5 (Daily Mirror) - The cost of security paper used for ballot paper printing has increased fourfold compared to 2019 when the last Presidential Election was conducted and therefore it is economically beneficial for the country to have a minimum number of candidates in the fray, two sources said.

A source from the Department of Government Printing said that there were 36 candidates last time and it resulted in the ballot paper being as long as 27 inches. According to the source, security paper materials cost Rs.300,000 a tonne at that time and it has increased fourfold today.

“We never know the exact number of candidates this time. The lesser the number of candidates, the shorter the ballot paper is. Then it is cost-effective for the government,” the source said.

“The Department maintains a buffer stock of printing materials with security features. The current stock is enough for the Presidential Election. We have to place orders in view of the future elections pending immediately after the presidential poll,” the source said.

The source also said the cost of white paper had also increased exponentially.

Another top source from the Election Commission said that the Constitution had guaranteed the right for any citizen to participate in elections and therefore no bar could be placed on the number of candidates. However, the source said it is the duty of citizens to be mindful of the cost factor for the government and refrain from contesting for the sake of contesting.

“When there are more and more candidates, the ballot paper is lengthened. It is costly then. Also, it will confuse voters in selecting the candidate of their choice,” the source said.