APPLY BEFORE 12 MIDNIGHT ON DEC.15

The postal voting applications for the 93 local government bodies to which elections had been declared would be closed at 12.00 midnight on December 15 and under no circumstances would it be extended, the Elections Commission said yesterday.

It said public officials on election duty -- school principals, teachers, SLTB officials, postal workers, railway officials, police and armed forces personnel and Civil Defence Force cadres who were registered as voters of any of the LG bodies where elections were being held, would be entitled to cast their votes by post.

The EC said those who apply for postal voting must have been registered in the 2017 electoral list.

The certifying officers of postal votes must personally ensure the identity of the voter and send the applications promptly to the returning officer of the district where the voter has been registered on or before December 15.

“Incomplete applications and those received after the said date would not be accepted. Therefore, it is advisable that the applications be handed over by the certifying officers to the Returning Officer of the district,” the EC said.

For the convenience of voters the district electoral registers have been on display at all District Election offices, Divisional Secretariats, Local Government bodies, Grama Niladari offices and at the Public Administration Ministry, Police Headquarters, Labour Secretariat, Postal Headquarters, Sri Lanka Railway Head Office, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry, Education Ministry, Registrar General’s Office, the NHDA and Department of Registration of Persons.

Voters can also check their registration on the website: elections.gov.lk. and obtain any information on the elections and the method of voting.

A special programme is in place to facilitate armed forces personnel to cast their votes by post, after consulting the relevant commanders of the three forces.

Incomplete applications and those received after the said date would not be accepted. Therefore, it is advisable that the applications be handed over by the certifying officers to the Returning Officer of the district