Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayke, who became the ninth executive president by the 2024 Presidential election, recently dissolved the parliament. Accordingly, the date has been set for holding a parliamentary election on the 14th of November.

When can you apply for postal votes?

Accordingly, the Election Commissioner General Mr. Saman Sri Rathnayake has stated that 07 days have been given to apply for postal votes for the upcoming parliamentary election from September 25 to October 2. He said this while attending a press conference held in Colombo on September 26.

Which parties are eligible for postal voting?

  • Government officials who are likely to be assigned for election duties.
  • Officials and employees employed in essential services.
  • Persons who are engaged in security services in all areas of the island under the Armed Forces, Police and Civil defense forces.

Thus, they have been specially given this opportunity to allow them to engage in their election duties or essential service duties on the day of the election.

What are the ways to obtain information about registered voters for the convenience of postal voters when applying for postal votes?

  • District Secretariat offices display a list of all the registered voters related to each polling district.
  • Divisional Secretariat offices display all the documents related to that Divisional Secretariat.
  • Grama Niladari offices display all the name lists related to the relevant Grama Niladhari Domain.
  • Information can be obtained from the list of registered voters related to each household in the voter list attached to the receipt of the BC form distributed from house to house during the revision of voter list.
  • Information about registered voters can also be obtained by calling the hotline of the State Information Center which is 1919. The applicant can get the constituency number and the serial number related to the registration in the voter list by submitting the information about his personal details, including his full name, National Identity Card number, district of residence and Grama Niladhari Domain.

What are the circumstances in which an application for postal voting is rejected?

  • When the administrative district is wrongly mentioned in the application.
  • When the person does not have a right to apply for postal votes.
  • When the information mentioned in the application does not match with the registered information in the voter list.
  • When the serial number of the name is not mentioned correctly in the application.
  • When the application is not signed by the applicant.
  • When the certifying officer has not certified the application.
  • Due to the late receipt of the application by the Returning Officer.
  • When there is no need to deploy the relevant applicant for election duties.

How to know if a postal vote application is accepted or not?

  • In respect of every postal vote application, notification is sent informing whether it was accepted or rejected.
  • This letter is sent to the relevant voter with a copy to the Certifying Officer.
  • If necessary, a copy of the relevant letter is also sent to the voter’s personal address.

What are the instances when the postal ballots are rejected?

  • When the two names entered into the postal voter register appear to belong to the same person, or are otherwise convinced of the same.

From whom you should get the privacy statements signed for marking postal ballots.

  • From Postal Ballot Certification Officers.
  • Returning officer/ Assistant Returning officer or by yourself.

Here is a detailed video released by the Election Commision of Sri Lanka in 2018 showing the steps for applying for Postal Votes.

You can refer to the website of the Election Commissioner’s Office here.

You can apply for postal votes through e-service on the internet.

In submitting this application, it is very important to have an understanding of one’s eligibility and to apply its data correctly and systematically.

Here, you can refer to mare details in postal voting and answers to frequently asked questions.

Procedure for voting when there is a reasonable apprehension of not being able to vote at a designated polling station.

Section 127b under the Parliamentary Elections Act No. 01 of 1981 provides that voters who have such doubts or fears may vote at other, easily accessible polling stations.

In such cases the person should hand over the application certified by the Grama Niladhari Officer to the Election Commission office located at Saranankara Mawatha, Rajagiriya or the District Election Office of the District where he resides, within 07 days (until October 1st) from the notification of the nomination for the election.


postalPostal VoteSrilanka