The Election Commission (EC) said that the majority of the prelates of temples in the country have not expressed any reluctance to use their temples as polling stations for the 2024 Parliamentary Election even though the day after the election is a Poya day.
Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L.Rathnayake said that accordingly, 2,263 temples are to be used as polling stations in the upcoming Parliamentary Election which will be held on November 14. The EC Chairman said that although some parties have made complaints over conducting the Parliamentary Election on a day where many temples are holding annual Katina Poojas, the EC has made inquiries from the prelates of the temples through the District Election Returning Officers in this regard.
Rathnayake said that out of the 2,263 temples in the country selected to use as polling stations, only 45 temples will not be used due to Katina poojas and 15 more due to other reasons and the polling stations in those places have been shifted to other venues. He said that prelates of 2,203 temples in the country have expressed their interest in having the polling stations at their temples and therefore, they will be used for polling stations as planned for the upcoming Parliamentary Election, he added.
The 2024 Parliamentary Election will be held on Thursday, November 14 from 7.00 am to 4.00 pm to elect members of the next parliament that is scheduled to be convened on November 21. Meanwhile, the Postal Department said that more than 75 percent of the distribution of official polling cards has been completed. Senior Deputy Postmaster General Rajitha Ranasinghe said that the distribution of official polling cards will be carried out till tomorrow (7). He also said that any persons who have not received their polling cards by November 7 can visit their relevant distributing post offices on the next day and obtain their polling cards after verifying their identity.
