(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – The Election Commission outlined the process for counting votes in the upcoming general election, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 14.
Election Commission Chairman R.M.L. Rathnayake addressing a media briefing said the counting of postal votes will begin at 4:15 p.m. on election day.
The counting of regular votes is expected to start around 7:15 p.m., depending on when ballot boxes arrive at counting centers, he said.
The vote-counting process will proceed as follows:
• Ballots in each box will be counted first.
• Votes for each political party or independent group will then be tallied to determine the number of parliamentary seats allocated to each.
• Preferential votes for individual candidates will then be counted, with candidates securing the highest number of votes in their respective parties or groups elected to Parliament.
The results from each voting area and district will be announced only after they have been reviewed and approved by the Election Secretariat, Ratnayake said.
The commission has also urged voters to avoid congregating near counting centres or on roads in the vicinity during the counting process.
“We urge the public especially to not be present around counting centers or on the road for whatever reason,” Rathnayake said.
