General Elections 2020 records highest number of rejected votes, CMEV explains why

August 8, 2020 at 1:41 PM

A total of 744, 373 votes were rejected during the General Elections 2020 held on 05 August.

The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) said this records the first time in the history of Sri Lanka for such a large number of votes to be rejected during an election.

Convenor for the CMEV Manjula Gajanayake told Newswire that four main factors played a key part for a large number of votes to be rejected.

  1. Electoral literacy of the public
  2. Few people casting ballots just to exercise rights but not marking ballot as required.
  3. The division between the United National Party. Party supporters refraining to vote or in a dilemma to choose between two symbols and candidates.
  4. Wrongful marking of ballots.

  • Total Registered Votes – 16,243,885
  • Total Polled – 12,343,309 (75.89%)
  • Total Valid votes -11,598, 936 (71.32%)
  • Rejected Votes – 744,373 (6.03% of Polled votes, 4.58% of Registered votes)

Rejected Votes Comparison

  • 2020 General Election – 744,373 (6.03% of Polled votes)
  • 2019 Presidential Election – 135,452 (1.01% of Polled votes in 2019)
  • 2015 General Election – 517,123(4.63% of Polled votes in 2015)

(Newswire)