General Election 2020 Postal voting in one DS postponed

Rest to begin today 

• Postal voting for the general election has been postponed in Rajanganaya
• Health guidelines to be strictly followed
• Postal voting continues until July 16
• Voting on July 20 & 21 for persons unable to vote earlier

By JAMILA HUSAIN  

Postal voting for the general election has been postponed in the Rajanganaya divisional secretariat while in all other districts it will go ahead as scheduled today amidst a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases due to the Kandakadu cluster which has infected nearly 400 people in the past three days. 

The Election Commission said postal voting had been delayed in the Rajanganaya area due to COVID-19 patients being detected in the area and a new date for the postal voting in that divisional secretariat will be announced later.   
Meanwhile, in all other divisional secretariats, Commissioner General of the Election Commission, Saman Sri Rathnayake told Daily Mirror that arrangements had been made for postal voting to begin today under strict health guidelines.   
Postal voting will continue till July 16 under the specified health guidelines and any public servant who is unable to cast their vote on these dates will be able to cast their votes on July 20 and 21 at the respective district secretariats.  

Some of the strict health guidelines which voters will have to follow when they cast their votes this week include physical distancing of one metre from each person inside the room, all officers and voters should wear masks, all voters shall wash or sanitize their hands before entering the voting place, voters will have to use their own pen or pencil for marking the vote, the voting cubicle shall be sanitized every hour and voters who have fever with or without respiratory symptoms will be allowed to vote at the end of the session.  

This year an estimated 15,000 health workers who will be on duty at the polling booths on August 5 will also be eligible for postal voting.   

• A new date for the postal voting in that divisional secretariat will be announced later
• Strict health guidelines will have to be followed when they cast their votes