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Sri Lanka to Scrap Indelible Ink Marking of Voters at Elections

Posted on the 24 June 2026 by Frontpage
Voting

Sri Lanka to scrap indelible ink marking of voters at elections

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to repeal legal provisions requiring voters to be marked with indelible ink during elections, a practice in place since 2004.

Under current election laws, voters are mandated to confirm their identity with a valid identity card and be marked with indelible ink before casting their ballot. Both measures were introduced to prevent multiple voting by a single individual.

However, authorities have observed that applying two separate procedures for the same purpose has led to inefficiencies at polling stations and unnecessary costs for the government. 

As a result, the Cabinet has approved the President’s proposal to remove the ink‑marking requirement from all election laws.

The provisions to be repealed include:

  • Presidential Elections Act No. 15 of 1981, Section 36
  • Parliamentary Elections Act No. 1 of 1981, Section 138
  • Provincial Councils Elections Act No. 2 of 1988, Section 36
  • Local Authorities Elections Ordinance (Chapter 262), Section 53A
  • Referendum Act No. 7 of 1981, Section 21. (Newswire)

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