Election observers say that only 65% of people have cast their votes in yesterday’s general election. It is the least number of people who voted in an election in Sri Lanka after 15 years.
The voter turnout for the 2020 general election was 75%, while the voter turnout for the 2015 general election was reported at 77%. The turnout in the 2010 general election was 64%.
Rohana Hettiarachchi, executive director of PAFRAL, said that the lack of a strong campaign by the opposition was one of the reasons for the decrease in voter turnout.
According to Manjula Gajanayake, executive director of IRES (Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies), announcing Thursday as a polling day instead of a weekend discouraged voters in some cases. He said it was a foolish decision by the concerned authorities.
“Besides, a number of known politicians were not in this fight. It may have discouraged their staunch followers from turning out to vote,” he said.