New system for postal voting soon

Chaminda PERERA

The Elections Department has planned to introduce a new system called advanced voting for those who are eligible for postal voting and government officials who are unable to obtain leave to cast their vote. Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said political parties have also expressed their willingness to introduce this system.

He added that this proposal would be brought to the Parliamentary Select Committee at its next meeting.

Deshapriya added that members of Armed Forces and government officials on election duty, are entitled to apply for postal voting under the Postal Voting Act and government servants, specially doctors, on compulsory services have not been included into the eligibility list.

The department faces a difficulty in opening postal voting centres even in places where there are only five voters, he said. Deshapriya noted that department officials are unable to monitor all such centres running into thousands islandwide.

Under advanced voting system, public servants eligible to vote can use their franchise at Divisional Secretariat office or police station in advance.

He was of the view that this process can easily be monitored by department officials too.

Deshapriya said that the department has received a number of complaints with regard to postal voting and the department has conducted an extensive investigation into each and every complaint.

Deshapriya added that his department cannot deploy department officials to each and every postal voting centre to monitor the election and the advanced voting system proposed by the Department will be a viable solution for this.

”We deployed department officials at vulnerable points and more officials are planned to be deployed this year.”