IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: Sri Lanka

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

21,018,859
Population (as of Feb. 8, 2019)

17,140,354
Registered Voters (as of July 8, 2024)

75.14%
Average Turnout

13
Elections in our database

V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index Score : 53.4 Very High
Regimes of the World Classification: Electoral Democracy
*Varieties of Democracy (2024)

CEDAW Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: July 17, 1980
Ratified Date: Oct. 5, 1981

CRPD Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: March 30, 2007
Ratified Date: Feb. 8, 2016

SIGI* Score: 53.4 Very High
*Social Institutions and Gender Index (2023)

HDI* Score: 0.776 High
*UNDP Human Development Index (2023)

Name	Official Name	Type
Sri Lankan Presidency	None	Head of State & Government
Sri Lankan Parliament		Assembly

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE (since 21 July 2022)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Harini AMARASURIYA (since 21 July 2022)
Assembly: Sri Lanka has a unicameral Parliament with 225 seats.

Description of electoral system:

The President is elected through a contingent vote system to serve a 6-year term. Under the contingent vote system, voters may rank up to three candidates. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round of counting, ballots whose first rankings are eliminated candidates are redistributed to the next-ranked candidates on those ballots. The winner is the candidate with the most votes after this second round of counting.
In the Parliament 225 members are elected by open list proportional representation in multi-member constituencies to serve 6-year terms.
- Parties must clear a threshold of one-eighth of votes to win seats in the respective constituency. Each voter may cast three preference votes. There are 22 multi-member constituencies containing 196 seats and one nationwide constituency with 29 seats.

Elections

2024-11-14
Sri Lankan Parliament
Votes 11,815,246
Registered 17,140,354
Turnout 68.93

2024-09-21
Sri Lankan Presidency
Votes 13,619,916
Registered 17,140,354
Turnout 79.46

2020-08-05
Sri Lankan Parliament
Votes 12,343,302
Registered 16,263,885
Turnout 75.89

2019-11-16
Sri Lankan Presidency
Votes 13,387,951
Registered 15,992,096
Turnout 83.72

2015-08-17
Sri Lankan Parliament
Votes 11,684,111
Registered 15,044,490
Turnout 77.66

2015-01-08
Sri Lankan Presidency
Votes 12,264,377
Registered 15,044,490
Turnout 81.52

2010-04-08
Sri Lankan Parliament
Votes 8,528,414
Registered 14,088,500
Turnout 60.53

2010-01-26
Sri Lankan Presidency
Votes 10,495,451
Registered 14,088,500
Turnout 74.5

2005-11-17
Sri Lankan Presidency
Votes 9,826,778
Registered 13,327,160
Turnout 73.73

2004-04-02
Sri Lankan Parliament
Votes 9,797,680
Registered 12,899,139
Turnout 75.96

2001-12-05
Sri Lankan Parliament
Votes 9,449,813
Registered 12,428,208
Turnout 76.04

2000-10-10
Sri Lankan Parliament
Votes 9,128,823
Registered 12,071,062
Turnout 75.63

1999-12-21
Sri Lankan Presidency
Votes 8,635,290
Registered 11,779,200
Turnout 73.31

Election For	Date	Votes	Registered Voters	Turnout
Sri Lankan Parliament	2024-11-14	11,815,246	17,140,354	68.93
Sri Lankan Presidency	2024-09-21	13,619,916	17,140,354	79.46
Sri Lankan Parliament	2020-08-05	12,343,302	16,263,885	75.89
Sri Lankan Presidency	2019-11-16	13,387,951	15,992,096	83.72
Sri Lankan Parliament	2015-08-17	11,684,111	15,044,490	77.66
Sri Lankan Presidency	2015-01-08	12,264,377	15,044,490	81.52
Sri Lankan Parliament	2010-04-08	8,528,414	14,088,500	60.53
Sri Lankan Presidency	2010-01-26	10,495,451	14,088,500	74.5
Sri Lankan Presidency	2005-11-17	9,826,778	13,327,160	73.73
Sri Lankan Parliament	2004-04-02	9,797,680	12,899,139	75.96
Sri Lankan Parliament	2001-12-05	9,449,813	12,428,208	76.04
Sri Lankan Parliament	2000-10-10	9,128,823	12,071,062	75.63
Sri Lankan Presidency	1999-12-21	8,635,290	11,779,200	73.31

Voter Turnout

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