The Election Commissioner is responsible for setting the dates for accepting nominations and conducting the Presidential Election. This process begins with an official notice published in the gazette. The date for accepting nominations is set within a period ranging from 16 to 21 days after the publication of this notice .

Following the submission of nominations, the presidential election must take place within 4 to 6 weeks. Importantly, the polling day cannot coincide with a Full Moon Poya day or a public holiday.

Accordingly, the Election Commission, through a special Gazette notice issued on July 26th, announced that August 15th would be the date for submitting nominations, and September 21st would be the day of the presidential election.

Methods for Submitting Nominations

There are three ways to submit a nomination for a Presidential Election:

Recognized Political Party: If a candidate is proposed by a recognized political party, the nomination paper must be signed by the party’s secretary.

Other Political Parties: If a candidate is proposed by any other political party, the nomination paper must similarly be signed by the party's secretary.

Independent Candidate: If a candidate is proposed by a voter, the nomination paper must be signed by a voter whose name appears on the electoral roll.

Objections to Nominations

After the submission of nominations, objections can be raised by an opposing candidate or by a person who signed the nomination paper of the opposing candidate. These objections must be submitted within a specified time frame set by the Election Commissioner. For the 2024 Presidential Election, objections can be filed on August 15th between 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM.

The Election Commissioner is required to determine the validity of any objections without delay. If a nomination is rejected, the Commissioner must notify the candidate of the rejection and provide valid reasons.

Post-Nomination Procedure

Within two weeks of the nomination date, the Election Commissioner must publish a notice in the Gazette detailing the locations of polling stations in each electorate. Typically, one polling station is established per each grama niladhari division.However, exceptions may be made under special circumstances.