Voting for Sri Lanka’s 17th General Election began this morning at 7:00 AM, with 17,421 polling stations open across the island. The Chairman of the Election Commission, R.M.A.L Rathnayake, stated earlier today that all ballot boxes, ballot papers, and officials were already in place at the respective stations. Additional security personnel have been deployed to ensure safety throughout the election process.
All election activities are being coordinated through District Returning Officers across 22 Electoral Districts.
Since the Meteorology Department has forecasted a heavy rainy condition due to a depression on the Bay of Bengal, Chairman Ratnayake said that the weather data will be assumed three hourly and get actions accordingly. The National Disaster Management Center and the Department of Meteorology are also on alert, prepared to take action if any weather conditions arise that could affect the voting process, according to the Chairman.
A total of 17,100,000 voters are eligible to cast their ballots to elect 225 members of Parliament. The new Parliament is set to convene on November 21st.
