Tens of thousands of Tamil voters have cast their ballots early across the North-East amidst a ramped-up security presence and heightened tensions, as Sri Lanka’s presidential elections were underway on Saturday.

Tamil voters have reportedly begun stocking up on supplies and groceries, amidst fears of a crackdown or violence in the wake of a close election between the two leading candidates Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Sajith Premadasa.  

“I have bought the next three days worth of groceries and other supplies in case I can’t leave the house after the election,” a female activist based in Jaffna told the Tamil Guardian. 

“You never know whether violence could flare-up. There could be a curfew in place or even military deployed depending on how the vote goes. We have been through it before. It’s fear, but it’s is so normal for us here.”

Uniformed officers from the Special Task Force and Civil Security Department were deployed in Jaffna and across other parts of the North-East, as polls opened on Saturday morning. Voters reportedly queued at many booths earlier in the day, to avoid the risk of violence later in the evening. 

The choice between the two leading candidates has left many Tamil voters in a difficult position. As Sri Lanka’s former defence secretary, Rajapaksa oversaw the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians and has vowed to shield Sri Lankan soldiers from prosecution for war crimes. However, Premadasa has matched many of Rajapaksa’s pledges, including protecting alleged war criminals, and is a staunch Sinhala Buddhist nationalist.

In Mullaitivu, former Northern Provincial Council member Ravikaran was one of the first to cast his vote, saying that he “prayed for an end to white van abductions”. Kidnappings and disappearances by ‘white vans’ became notorious throughout Rajapaksa’s tenure. Just last week, a man who claimed to be a driver of one of those white vans said that murders had taken place, with bodies fed to crocodiles.

Regardless of the result, the president-elect “must come forward with a political solution for the Tamil people,” added Ravikaran.

An auto driver in Jaffna told the Tamil Guardian that though Tamils may be voting for Premadasa out of fear of a Rajapaksa return, “whoever comes to power, there won’t be much difference”.

The sentiment was widely shared across the North-East, with turnout already surpassing 50% in many districts by midday. With the polls set to close at 5pm this evening, many are anxiously awaiting the results.

“I’ve already set up a VPN on my phone, just in case the state blocks social media platforms again,” said the Jaffna-based activist. “For us, the stakes are so high. The fear is very real.”