Over 300,000 votes declared invalid mainly due to confusion over marking preferences

By Huzefa Aliasger

According to the Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake a total of 300,300 votes were rejected by the Election Commission due to ballot papers being marked incorrectly.

Ratnayake also remarked on the 3.5 million voters who did not cast their vote, “Typically, voter participation in Presidential Elections exceeds 80 per cent. However, this time, fewer citizens exercised their voting rights. This issue requires attention not only from the Election Commission but also from political parties, which play a crucial role in mobilising voters.”

The Commonwealth Observer Group addressed this issue highlighting the importance of voter education and programmes dedicated to demonstrating the voting system, as well as the preferential voting system should be implemented, stating that “there was confusion about how the system works, and how voters cast their ballots in order of preference.”