Police tough on photographing ballot paper

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

The Police will take stern action on those who would photograph their ballot paper in the coming presidential poll, where already three persons including two teachers had been apprehended on Friday when casting their postal votes. 

Amongst the arrested were two teachers from Katugastota and Kekirawa as well as a watcher attached to a school in Gampola area. Police Media Unit reported that Katugastota and Kekirawa Police made the apprehensions having noticed the two teachers were photographing their ballot papers with their mobile phone cameras before casting their postal vote.   
Police Spokesman SSP Ruwan Gunasekara told the Daily Mirror it is illegal to take photographs of one’s ballot paper prior to casting vote under the elections law as well as sharing such images through social media portals. 

 
The Police Department following instructions given by the Election Commission had already ordered probes on several areas, where individuals were said to have shared the images of their ballot papers photographed during the casting of postal vote on Friday, November 1, on popular social media sites. They have also received information about certain individuals who have exchanged the images of their photographed ballot papers through their cellular phones.