Poll card not essential - Polls Chief

by Manjula Fernando

Elections Chief Dayananda Dissanayake announced that the poll card is not essential to make use of their franchise right at the election.

Responding to reports that nearly half a million poll cards are still lying idle at post offices, he said everyone is free to vote after proving their identity even without a poll card.

"The purpose of the poll card is to inform the voter of his polling centre and prove his identity to the polling officers," Dissanayake said adding that the voters can always go to the same centre where they cast their vote last time and prove his identity.

According to the Commissioner there are 25,000 polling cards undelivered in the Colombo district, 20,000 in Gampaha, 19,000 in Galle, 17,000 in Kandy, 19 in Kurunegala, 12,000 in Chilaw and 14,000 in Trincomalee.

In addition 12,000 polling cards in Mullaitivu, 12,000 in Kilinochchi, 9,000 in Vavuniya and 6,000 in Mannar are also lying in the post officers.

The Commissioner said some of the owners of these 'may be displaced, deceased or migrated'.

The electoral list of the North and East was last revised in 1983. Only 250,000 from the Jaffna electoral district have cast their vote at the General Election in 2004.