Committee Hands Over Key Report on Overseas Voting

COLOMBO (News 1st); A report containing recommendations to enable more than 1.5 million Sri Lankans living abroad to exercise their voting rights in domestic elections has been officially handed over to the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government.

The report was prepared by a Special Committee appointed to formulate the necessary legal and practical mechanisms to facilitate overseas voting. 

Accepting the report, the Minister stated that denying Sri Lankans living overseas the opportunity to participate in deciding the country’s governance is unjust, particularly given their substantial contribution to the national economy.

The Minister described the report as a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s history, noting that it incorporates the views of approximately 16 different political parties and civil society organizations. He said the report will be presented to the Cabinet, after which the government is prepared to engage in extensive discussions and take the required next steps.

Chairman of the Committee, Additional Elections Commissioner and Attorney-at-Law L.A.P.K. Kulatunga, said that Sri Lankans living abroad were categorized into four groups during the preparation of the report: migrant workers, students, dual citizens and those residing overseas for other purposes. 

He explained that the proposed mechanism focuses on four key areas: voter registration, election campaigning, casting of votes and the counting and release of results.

Under voter registration, mechanisms have been proposed for the formal registration of migrant workers, students and dual citizens. 

In relation to election campaigning, the report examines how campaign activities could be conducted for overseas voters and the implications of the Regulation of Election Expenditure Act. 

For the casting of votes, the committee explored possibilities such as voting through Sri Lankan missions overseas, postal voting and secure online voting methods. 

The final area addresses procedures for vote counting and the release of results.

The Special Committee was appointed in December 2025 following a Cabinet decision to pursue this long-discussed reform. A key highlight noted in the report is that it was completed within three months, ahead of the expected timeline, after consultations with all relevant stakeholders.

Although discussions on granting voting rights to Sri Lankans living abroad date back to the 1990s, this marks the first occasion on which a formal program and a systematic report have been presented for this purpose. Data and views were obtained from political parties, independent organizations, individuals, and overseas groups during the process.

The report also highlights the need to consider advanced or mobile voting systems for essential service personnel such as doctors and customs officers, as well as for fishermen, prisoners and the bedridden within Sri Lanka.

The Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government stated that the recommendations are expected to be opened for public discussion in the future, with the aim of further strengthening the country’s democratic process.