Photo, video ban at polling stations; number of counting centres slashed
Taking photographs or videoing stages of marking ballot papers or marked ballot papers inside postal voting centres or in polling stations is prohibited, the Election Commission has decided.
Accordingly distribution or publishing of photographs of marked ballot papers through print, electronic, social or any other media has been prohibited.
The Commission said it would issue permission in writing when there was a need to
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take photographs or video any special occasion or procedure inside a polling station, for the purpose of preparing official reports and collection of photographs on the poll.
The directive was issued by the Commission under the powers vested in it by the Local Authorities Elections Act.
Some 15.7 million people are registered to vote at Saturday's local council elections to 341 councils – 24 municipal councils, 41 urban councils and 276 Pradeshiya Sabhas. Polling will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 175,000 officials will be deployed for the conduct of the poll and the counting.
The police will be deploying 70,000 officers backed by the Civil Defence Force members and the Special Task Force (STF).
Deputy Inspector General R.K.K. Peiris, who is serving as Director of the Police Election Secretariat said that in addition to deploying two armed policemen at every booth there would be mobile police patrols.
"In case of any incidents and if the situation is volatile, police have been instructed to use the necessary force to bring it under control," he warned.
Meanwhile, Deputy Elections Commissioner M.M.Mohamed said the number of counting centers had been reduced by nearly 2,000 to provide maximum security to centres where votes would be counted.
He said the number of counting centres has been reduced by 1,920 compared to the original number of 6,823 they proposed to have.
The decision was taken following a request from President Maithripala Sirisena who expressed concern that counting at polling stations was risky as only two policemen were available for security.
Mr Mohamed said they were expecting the first results between 9 pm and 10 p.m. on Saturday. "The counting will be easier this time as there is no preferential vote," he said.