Sri Lanka
Return to Home Page

General Right to Vote
Constitution:
(1978)
• Section 3, subsection (e) states, "The franchise shall be exercisable at the election of Members of Parliament, and of the members of Regional Councils, and at every Referendum by every citizen who has attained the age of eighteen years, and who, being qualified to be an elector as hereinafter provided, has his name entered in the register of electors."

Specific Inclusion of People with Disabilities
Disability Law:
(Act no. 28 of 1996: Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities)
• Section 23, subsection (2) states: "No person with a disability shall, on the ground of such disability, be subject to any liability, restriction or condition with regard to access to, or use of, any building or place which any other member of the public has access or is entitled to use, whether on the payment of any fee or not."

Exclusion Based on Mental Disability
Constitution:
(1978)
• Article 89 states: "No person shall be qualified to be an elector at an election of the President, or of the Members of Parliament or to vote at any Referendum, if he is subject to any of the following disqualifications, namely…(c) if he is under any law in force in Sri Lanka found or declared to be of unsound mind…"
• Article 91, subsection (1) states: "No person shall be qualified to be elected as a Member of Parliament or to sit and vote in Parliament (a) if he is or becomes subject to any of the disqualifications specified in article 89…"

Voter Assistance by Other Citizens
Electoral Law:
(1981: Parliamentary Elections Act)
• Section 40, subsection (2) states: "The presiding officer, on the application of any voter who is incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause from voting in accordance with the directions given for the guidance of voters in the Third Schedule to this Act shall, in the presence of another member of his polling staff, mark the ballot paper of such voter in the manner directed by the voter and shall cause such ballot paper to be placed in the ballot box."

Promotes Access
Poll Worker Manuals:
Presidential Elections Act, No. 15 of 1981
• Permission by authority that a person with physical disability may convey himself in any way possible to polling station p 49