Historic Presidential Election in Sri Lanka – Record Candidates 2024

News Today: Voting underway for the 9th Executive President of Sri Lanka 2024

The election for the 9th Executive President of Sri Lanka is underway, with polling stations open until 4 PM today. A historic 38 candidates are vying for the presidency, marking the highest number in the nation’s electoral history. A total of 17,140,354 eligible voters, including 1,148,258 new voters, can cast their ballots across 13,421 polling stations in 22 electoral districts. Gampaha leads with the most registered voters at 1,881,129, while Trincomalee has the fewest at 315,925.

The Election Commission confirmed that ballot boxes were successfully transported to all polling stations by last night. Over 150,000 government officials have been deployed to ensure the election proceeds smoothly, with a special focus on maintaining peace and security. Voters are reminded that they can vote with a valid ID even if they haven’t received an official ballot notice.

The Election Commissioner General, Saman Sri Ratnayake, advises voters to head home after casting their votes and avoid gathering in groups. Mobile phones are strictly prohibited inside polling, counting, and result announcement stations to prevent any disruptions.

The National Election Commission has assured that all necessary arrangements have been made for a peaceful, free, and fair election, with a ballot length of 28 inches.