elections.gov.lk Registration as an Elector Sri Lanka : Election Commission

Organisation : Election Commission
Facility : Registration as an Elector
Country : Sri Lanka
Details : http://elections.gov.lk/web/index.php/en/enumeration

Elections Registration as an Elector Sri Lanka

Ceylon (Parliamentary Elections) Order in Council, 1946, which compiled the respective laws for the registration of electors and the conduct of Parliamentary elections, was promulgated on 26 September 1946.

Related : Election Commission Voter Registration Sri Lanka : www.electionin.org/2693.html

The basic qualifications to register as voters are given in the Section 4 of the Ceylon (Parliamentary Elections) Order in Council, 1946. Except for the eligibility of the age of 21 years on the 01st of June, other qualifications were similar to the present.

Previously, the Minister of Home Affairs appointed the Registering Officers and the Revising Officers, by name or by designation, for the registration of electors of each electoral district and one or more persons was appointed from time to time, by name or by designation, to assist them.

In 1954, the first enumeration of electors was done based on the assessment number or householder’s number under food control and a separate form or several forms was / were used for each house.

In 1957, a form for the enumeration in urban areas was introduced and the signature of the chief occupant was also taken. 1959 was the year in which an important change occurred in relation to the qualifications of the voters.

According to the Amendments Act No. 11 of 1959 the qualified age to be an elector was reduced from 21 years to 18 years. Preparation of the registers according to the household numbers was commenced from the register certified in May 1959.

At that time this method was implemented in Colombo and Kandy Municipal Council areas. The register in other areas was prepared after arranging the names of voters in the alphabetical order.

Basic Qualifications to be an Elector

** Shall be a citizen of Sri Lanka.
** Shall have attained the age of 18 years on the qualifying date, June 1st, to register in the respective electoral register.
** Shall be a resident at the relevant address.

** Shall be a person who is not subject to, any disqualification mentioned in the Article 89 of the Constitution until the 01st of June, (Shall not under any law in force found to be of unsound mind, not a person who is serving or has during the period of seven years immediately preceding, completed serving of a sentence of imprisonment for a term not less than six months imposed after conviction by any Court for an offence, not being a person who has being convicted of any offence under the law relating to elections)

** No person is entitled to have his name entered or retained in more than one register or more than once in the same register.

Process of Registration

Registration of electors under the Registration of Electors Act, No. 44 of 1980 :
1. Registration of Electors and the revision of electoral registers are done annually.

At the district level the Department of Elections is represented by Senior Deputy/ Deputy/ Assistant Commissioners of Elections (the Assistant Registering Officers) to direct and control the revision work under the supervision of the District Secretary/ Government Agent.

The Commissioner of Elections appoints District Secretaries / Government Agents as the Registering Officers of the respective Districts. The Registering Officer appoints enumerators to visit house to house for compiling the particulars of voters.

Chief occupants of each household are expected to duly perfect the enumeration form (BC form) supplied to them.

Village level government officer, Grama Niladhari, undertakes the enumeration and Special Enumerators are appointed for this work in the Metropolitan areas (eg. Colombo and Negombo Municipal Council Areas) where the enumeration is complicated.