The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to repeal legal provisions requiring voters to be marked with indelible ink during elections, a practice in place since 2004.
Under current election laws, voters are mandated to confirm their identity with a valid identity card and be marked with indelible ink before casting their ballot. Both measures were introduced to prevent multiple voting by a single individual.
However, authorities have observed that applying two separate procedures for the same purpose has led to inefficiencies at polling stations and unnecessary costs for the government.
As a result, the Cabinet has approved the President’s proposal to remove the ink‑marking requirement from all election laws.
The provisions to be repealed include:
- Presidential Elections Act No. 15 of 1981, Section 36
- Parliamentary Elections Act No. 1 of 1981, Section 138
- Provincial Councils Elections Act No. 2 of 1988, Section 36
- Local Authorities Elections Ordinance (Chapter 262), Section 53A
- Referendum Act No. 7 of 1981, Section 21. (Newswire)