Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake said that despite an increase in the length of the ballot paper due to a higher number of candidates, the estimated budget for the upcoming election remains adequate.
Ratnayake explained that the number of candidates has risen from 35 in the previous election to 39 this year. As a result, the length of the ballot paper has grown to between 26 and 27 inches.
Despite this change, Ratnayake assured that there will be no alterations to the design of the ballot paper itself.
“The overall number of pages required will remain consistent, and while there may be some fluctuations in overall costs, we anticipate that the budget will cover these changes,” Ratnayake said.
The Commissioner General said that the increase in ballot paper length would not affect the design or functionality of the ballot.
He said the financial provisions made for this election will adequately address any cost variations resulting from the expanded ballot size.