The decision to discontinue the use of indelible ink for fingerprinting voters during elections will save the government nearly Rs. 100 million per election, according to Rohana Hettiarachchi, Executive Director of the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL).
Speaking at a media briefing, Hettiarachchi welcomed the decision, describing it as a positive reform that has been discussed for many years among election stakeholders, political parties, and civil society organizations.
He said that discontinuing the use of indelible ink would significantly reduce election-related expenditure by eliminating the costs associated with importing the ink, distributing it to polling stations, and managing the related administrative processes.
Hettiarachchi also pointed out that Sri Lanka’s voter verification process has become more robust with the mandatory use of the National Identity Card (NIC) and improvements in the preparation and maintenance of the electoral register through modern technology.
He emphasized that, given the existing safeguards against electoral fraud, the longstanding practice of marking voters’ fingers with indelible ink is no longer essential, as the risk of impersonation or multiple voting has been greatly minimized.
According to Hettiarachchi, the move represents a practical and cost-effective modernization of the country’s electoral process while maintaining the integrity and transparency of elections.
