As of now, 29 candidates have deposited bail money in relation to the 2024 presidential election. The deadline for submitting these security deposits is set for next Wednesday, August 14, at 12 noon.
The Election Commission has noted that if the number of candidates increases, so too will the total amount of money required for the election.
Historically, since 1994, the highest percentage of votes received by a candidate outside the two main contenders was 4.08%. This was achieved by Nandana Gunathilaka of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna in the 2000 presidential election.
In the 2019 presidential election, the combined vote share of the 33 additional candidates was just 2.5%, with none of them surpassing the 2% threshold.
Rohana Hettiarachchi, Executive Director of the PAFRAL organization, explained that candidates who fail to secure at least 2% of the votes will have their bail money confiscated.
