Voter is king on polling day

Elections Dept. decides to take the ballot paper to the disabled

The Elections Department said that to enable disabled persons vote in comfort in tomorrow’s Parliamentary elections it has decided to bring the ballot papers to the disabled voter.

Assistant Commissioner M. M. Mohamed said that a consensus has been reached recently in consultation with representatives of recognised political parties to take the ballot paper to the voter in order to include the elderly, sick and persons with physical disabilities in the voting process.

He said that arrangements have been made for the disabled voter to be taken to a special cubicle so as to enable him/ her to mark the ballot paper by a proxy who accompanies the voter, in the presence of the Senior Presiding Officer (SPO).

However he said that it is important that the voter verbally voices his/ her wish the party and candidate he/ she wants to vote for. The SPO will ensure that the proxy marks the right cages as per voter’s wishes and then escort the voter to the ballot box to cast the vote.

In the case of sick persons or those in a wheel chair arrangements will be made to take them to a point nearest the ballot box. For those who come alone the SPO in the presence of a subordinate officer will mark the ballot paper as per voter’s wish and proceed to the cubicle to cast the vote. The visually handicapped can voice their preferences.

Under the Elections ( Special Provisions) Act 28 of 2011 the disabled voter had to go to the ballot box to cast his/her vote. The proxy was allowed only to accompany the voter to the ballot box to help the voter in the voting process.

However it is important that the voter produces a certificate of eligibility as prescribed in the fourth schedule to the Act. The form to obtain the certificate could be obtained from the grama niladhari (GSN) of the area on producing a medical certificate from a Government medical practitioner stating that the voter is a disabled person with a handicap and is unable to vote, independently.

The GSN endorsed certificate has to be presented at the polling station along with the identity card which will allow the disabled voter to take his/her proxy along with the voter to exercise the franchise.

The person who accompanies the disabled person should be more than 18 years and not a contesting candidate at the election and should not be an authorised agent or a polling agent of a political party at the election.

The proxy also should bring his/ her own National Identity Card or any other identity document which is acceptable at the polling station.

A specimen of the Certificate of Eligibility can also be downloaded by visiting the website (www.slelections.gov.lk) of the Department of Elections.