On counting votes:
A President may be elected on the first count, if one candidate receives 50% plus one vote of the valid votes cast, that candidate will win the Presidential Election.
OR
A President may be elected on the second count, if no candidate reaches 50% plus one vote of the valid votes cast, thereafter:
Except for the first two candidates, all others are eliminated;
Of all the eliminated votes, the ballot papers containing second, or second and third preferences are scrutinized;
If the second preference is for one of the two top candidates, it is counted as a vote for that candidate. If the second preference is for an eliminated candidate but the third preference is for one of the two top candidates, it is counted as a vote for that top candidate.
The ultimate winner will be the person who obtains the highest number of votes in the final count.
The post Sri Lanka Presidential Election: How the 2nd preferencial votes will be counted ? appeared first on Newswire.