Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake, has assured that all eligible voters can cast their ballots in today’s 2025 Local Government Elections, even if they have not received their official polling card.
Speaking on TV Derana’s 360° current affairs programme yesterday (5 May), Ratnayake explained that sub-post offices across the country are open today to facilitate the collection of polling cards for those who have not yet received them.
“Anyone who has not received their official polling card can visit the relevant sub-post office and obtain it. However, not having this document will not prevent a person from voting,” he emphasised.
He clarified that the polling card is not mandatory for voting, with the key requirement being a valid form of identification.
“The identity card is what matters when casting a vote. This can be a National Identity Card (NIC), a valid passport, a foreign driving licence, or for pensioners, a Government Pensioner ID,” he said.
Ratnayake further noted that other accepted forms of identification include:
- Elders’ Identity Card issued by the Department of Social Services
- Clergy Identity Cards issued by the Department for Registration of Persons
- Confirmation documents with photographs issued due to delays in identity card or passport processing
- Temporary identity cards for disabled individuals issued by the Election Commission
- Temporary ID cards for other eligible voters, also issued by election offices
“If a voter possesses any of these accepted documents, they will be allowed to vote at their designated polling station,” the Commissioner General confirmed.
Meanwhile, voting in the 2025 Local Government Elections began this morning, with over 17 million registered voters eligible to cast their votes at 13,759 polling centres across the country.
