Postal voting for elections in three provincial councils commenced in Sri Lanka on Monday in the run up to the main poll next week, an official said here.

Postal voting for the upcoming provincial council elections on Sept. 7 will be held till Tuesday, according to the Elections Department.

There are 100,818 voters eligible for postal voting, statistics released by the department noted. Around three million people are eligible to vote in the main elections next Saturday.

Special arrangements have been made to provide security to the state institutions where postal voting is taking place.

"Over 20,000 police will be deployed for the main election but during the postal voting time holding meetings and displaying posters and cutouts where voting is taking place are totally banned," Police Spokesman Ajith Rohana told Xinhua.

In the run up to the poll election violations have been relatively low, he added.

Of 204 complaints received by police, 27 are related to violence while the others are on violation of election laws.

Analysts have pointed out that low interest in the elections is largely due to the severe drought affecting two of the three provincial councils.

Local media reports have noted that as much as 150,000 acres of paddy have been affected by the drought, which has also brought three hour daily power cuts countrywide ahead of the election.

The eastern province, which was formerly one of the worst affected areas from Sri Lanka's three decade war that ended in 2009, will be having its second round of elections.