Assistant Commissioner of Elections of the Ampara Office, organised a workshop for election officials to explain procedures for the upcoming Parliamentary Election, at the Alayadivembu Divisional Secretariat Cultural Hall recently.
Assistant Returning Officer Z. Nazeerdeen delivered the lecture on rules and regulations for Senior Presiding Officers (SPO) under the guidance and supervision of Ampara District Assistant Commissioner of Elections, Thilina Wickramaratna and Ampara District Secretary and Returning Officer D.M.L. Bandaranayake.
The main feature of the workshop was on Covid-19 health guidelines. Five-hundred-and-twenty-five polling booths have been set up in the four electoral districts. Ampara - 181, Sammanthurai - 93, Kalmunai - 74 and Pottuvil - 177. Ballot boxes in three sizes will be used.
The counting of votes will take place at 74 centres set up at the Hardy Technical College. The counting of postal votes will be carried out at 19 centres. There are 513,979 registered voters in the Digamadulla electoral district. The Ampara electorate has the highest number of registered voters - 177,144, Sammanthurai – 90,405, Kalmunai – 77,637 and Pottuvil – 168,793. There are 28,668 postal voters in the district.
Five hundred and forty candidates are contesting seven parliamentary seats in the Digamadulla Electoral District from 20 political parties while 34 Independent Groups are also contesting.