Presidential elections were held in Sri Lanka on 21 September 2024. Incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe ran for re-election as an independent candidate, making him the first sitting president to run for re-election since Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2015. Other prominent candidates included Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the NPP, and Namal Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The elections were a three-way contest between Wickremesinghe, Premadasa and Dissanayake. For the first time in a Sri Lankan presidential election, no candidate received a majority of the vote. Dissanayake was in first place with 42%, followed by Premadasa with 33%. Incumbent president Wickremesinghe finished third, receiving only 17% of the vote. As no candidate received a majority, second preference votes were counted. The following day, Dissanayake was declared the winner with 56% of the vote after second preferences had been taken into account. He was inaugurated on 23 September.
The elections signified a major political realignment in Sri Lanka. Dissanayake's victory was the first time a third-party candidate was elected president. This was also the first election where neither of the top two candidates were endorsed by the United National Party or the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.
Background The last direct presidential elections held in Sri Lanka were in 2019, where SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the election in a landslide victory, defeating his main opponent Sajith Premadasa.
Rajapaksa resigned on 14 July 2022 during the 2022 Sri Lankan protests. This triggered an indirect presidential election via Parliament a week later, to elect a successor according to the Article 40 of the Constitution. Ranil Wickremesinghe, who had been appointed as Prime Minister by Rajapaksa just two months earlier, received the most votes and was sworn in as the 9th President of Sri Lanka on 21 July 2022.
Article 40 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka states that "Any person so succeeding to the office of President shall hold office only for the unexpired period of the term of office of the President vacating office. President Wickremesinghe's term expired on 17 November 2024.
Discussion surrounding the 2024 election had been a major topic since the beginning of the year. The Election Commission stated that the election had to be held between 17 September and 16 October, as required by the Constitution. On 26 July, the Election Commission issued a Gazette notification declaring that the election would be held on 21 September 2024, with nominations for candidates to be submitted by 15 August. The commission chose to hold the election on a Saturday, stating that this would help ensure a high voter turnout. On the same day, Ranil Wickremesinghe announced his candidacy for a second term as president, running as an independent candidate.
Approximately 17 million people were eligible to vote in this election.
Electoral system
Type of electoral system The President of Sri Lanka is elected through a system of limited ranked voting. Voters can express up to three ranked preferences for the presidency. If no candidate receives more than 50% of all valid votes in the first count, all candidates except the two who received the highest number of votes are eliminated. The second and third preference votes of the eliminated candidates are then redistributed to the remaining two candidates until one of them secures an outright majority.
In practice, this system had seen no use. Every presidential election since the first in 1982 had resulted in a candidate from one of the major parties or alliances winning an outright majority in the first count. Consequently, most voters choose to mark only one candidate on their ballots, and many are either unaware that they can rank multiple candidates or choose not to exercise that prerogative.
Voting procedure The Election Commission outlined the voting procedure on 30 August 2024, detailing the ranked voting system due to the multiple candidates contesting the presidential election, ensuring voters were informed on how to cast and submit their ballots. Voting began at 13,134 polling stations nationwide at 7:00 AM SLST on 21 September and closed at 4:00 PM SLST.
Postal voting The Election Commission announced the dates and locations for postal voting in a media release on 29 August 2024. This facility is available only to pre-approved officials engaged in election duties. Postal voting was conducted on 4, 5, 6, 11, and 12 September, strictly according to the provided schedule.
Ballot boxes and security systems Due to the larger size of the ballot papers, the Election Commission has opted to use cardboard ballot boxes instead of traditional wooden ones. These boxes will be available in three sizes. A combination of wooden and cardboard ballot boxes was used in the 2019 Sri Lankan presidential election and the 2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary election.
To further ensure security, the government imposed a liquor ban on the weekend of 21 to 22 September and deployed more than 63,000 police officers to secure polling stations and counting centres. It also banned the holding of victory rallies or celebrations until a week after the results were announced. A nighttime curfew was also declared after the end of voting, which was lifted at noon on 22 September.
Recent Sri Lankan election results
Prior election results Election results Dates of elections Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna(SLPFA) Samagi Jana Balawegaya National People's Power Tamil National Alliance United National Party Others Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %2019 presidential election6,924,25552.25%－－418,5533.16%－－5,564,23941.99%345,4522.35%2020 parliamentary election6,853,69059.09%2,771,98023.90%445,9583.84%327,1682.82%249,4352.15%950,6988.20%
Maps Election results map 2019 presidential election 2020 parliamentary election Elected members of each electoral district or municipality, gaining the highest number of votes■ SLPFA ■ SJB ■ TNA ■ SLFP ■ EPDP ■ Other parties
Candidates
By the end of candidate registration on 15 August, the Election Commission had accepted a total of 39 applications for the presidential election, the highest number ever recorded for a presidential election in Sri Lanka. One candidate, Mohamed Illiyas, died of a heart attack prior to the election. His name on the ballot was not replaced. Despite the record number of candidates, none were female.
Major candidates Candidate Political office and constituencySymbol Endorsements Notes Ranil Wickremesinghe ()Independent President of Sri Lanka (2022–2024)Leader of the United National Party (since 1994)Former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1993–1994, 2001–2004, 2015–2018, 2018–2019, 2022)Gas Cylinder United National Party Breakaway members of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Ceylon Workers' Congress De facto Central Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Eelam People's Democratic Party Mahajana Eksath Peramuna New Lanka Freedom Party Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal Declared 26 July 2024 Relative of former President J. R. Jayewardene Previously ran in 1999 and 2005. Election manifesto launched on 29 August 2024 Sajith Premadasa ()Samagi Jana Balawegaya Leader of the Opposition (since 2019)Leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (since 2020)ColomboTelephone Samagi Jana Balawegaya All Ceylon Makkal Congress Freedom People's Congress Humane People's Alliance Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Dayasiri faction) Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Tamil Progressive Alliance United People's Freedom Alliance United Republican Front Up-Country People's Front Declared 16 May 2023 Son of former president Ranasinghe Premadasa Previously ran in 2019. Election manifesto launched on 29 August 2024 Anura Kumara Dissanayake ()National People's Power Former Minister and Chief Opposition Whip (2015–2018)Leader of the National People's Power (since 2015)Leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (since 2014)ColomboCompass National People's Power Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Declared 29 August 2023 Previously ran in 2019. Election manifesto launched on 26 August 2024
Minor candidates Candidate Political office and constituencySymbol Endorsements Notes Namal Rajapaksa ()Sri Lanka Podujana PeramunaFormer Minister of Youth and Sports (2020–2022) HambantotaFlower bud (Pohottuwa) Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Declared on 7 August 2024 Son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa Nephew of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa Election manifesto launched on 2 September 2024
Other candidates In addition to the four candidates mentioned above, 35 other candidates ran in the election.
Candidate Party Symbol Notes Independent Tyre Former JVP/UPFA MP for Gampaha. Presidential candidate in 2019. Independent Conch shell Former ITAK/TNA MP for Batticaloa. Endorsed by the EPRLF, PLOTE, TELO, Tamil National Party and TMK. Independent Table fan National Development Front Coconut Academic at the University of Peradeniya. Socialist People's Forum Umbrella Aragalaya activist. Endorsed by the FSP and New Democratic Marxist–Leninist Party. Independent Blackboard Former JHU/UPFA MP for Colombo. Socialist Party of Sri Lanka Balloon IndependentLantern5th Chief of the Defence Staff. 18th Commander of the Sri Lanka Army. Former Minister. SJB MP from Gampaha. Presidential candidate in 2010. New Independent Front Till Leader of New Independent Front. Former UNP candidate in Colombo. Independent Syringe Former SLMC MP for Jaffna. Presidential candidate in 2010 (endorsed Sarath Fonseka), 2015 and 2019. Died on 22 August 2024. Democratic Unity Alliance Two leaves Independent Jackfruit Former UNP/UNFGG MP for Polonnaruwa. United Socialist Party Tri-shaw Presidential candidate in 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2019. Communist Party of Sri Lanka Star Leader of Mawbima Janatha Pakshaya. Endorsed by the Sarvajana Balaya. Election manifesto launched on 31 August 2024. Independent Football Former Deputy Minister. Former SLFP/PA MP for Gampaha. Presidential candidate in 2019. Arunalu People's Front Water tap Independent Medal Former Cabinet Minister. Former UNP/UNF MP for Hambantota. Sri Lanka Labour Party Kangaroo Presidential candidate in 2010, 2015 and 2019. New Sinhala Heritage Bow and arrow Presidential candidate in 2010, 2015 (endorsed Mahinda Rajapaksa) and 2019. Independent Motorbike Former SLFP/UPFA MP for Puttalam. Independent Calculator Former UNP/UNFGG MP for Nuwara Eliya. Independent Horseshoe Former JVP/UPFA MP for Kegalle. Presidential candidate in 2015 and 2019. Independent Pair of spectacles Former JVP/UPFA MP for Matara. Samabima Party Envelope Presidential candidate in 2015 and 2019. Not to be confused with SLPP candidate Namal Rajapaksa, not related to the Rajapaksa family. National Democratic FrontCarFormer Cabinet Minister. SLFP MP for Colombo. Endorsed by a faction of the SLFP. Independent Cricket bat Former Cabinet Minister. SLPP/SLPFA MP for Polonnaruwa. United Lanka People's Party Cup Former chairman of the PUCSL. People's Welfare Front Tractor Presidential candidate in 2010, 2015 and 2019. United National Freedom Front Comb of plantains Democratic United National Front Eagle Independent Bird feather Former NUW/UNFGG MP for Nuwara Eliya. Our People's Power Party Flag Endorsed by the Lanka Sama Samaja Party. Election manifesto launched on 27 August 2024. Nava Sama Samaja Party Table Socialist Equality Party Pair of scissors Presidential candidate in 2015 and 2019. Ruhunu People's Party Pineapple Former SLFP/PA National List MP. Presidential candidate in 2019 (endorsed Sajith Premadasa).
One of the main reasons for the proliferation of candidates is the low election deposit required to contest – Rs. 50,000 (US$170) for party candidates and Rs. 75,000 (US$250) for independent candidates. These amounts that have remained unchanged since the introduction of presidential elections in 1982.