Election Commission Reopens Voter Registration Until November 16

The Election Commission has announced that the voter registration process, suspended after the announcement of the House of Representatives election, will resume and continue until November 16, 2025. This move aims to ensure that eligible citizens have sufficient time to secure their right to vote. 

On September 12, President Ramchandra Paudel dissolved the House of Representatives, the lower house of Nepal’s Federal Parliament, and announced fresh elections for March 5, 2026. The dissolution followed the recommendation of newly appointed Prime Minister Sushila Karki, who took office that evening as a caretaker leader. Karki, Nepal’s first woman Chief Justice, has been entrusted with steering the country through a fragile transitional period marked by political uncertainty and youth-led protests that culminated in the ouster of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on September 9.

Nepali citizens who have reached the age of 16 and obtained a Nepali citizenship certificate are eligible to register on the voter list. However, only those aged 18 and above and included in the voter list will be eligible to vote.

Registration will be open daily, except on public holidays, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM at Provincial Election Offices and District Election Offices nationwide, it said in a statement Thursday, September 25.

The Election Commission has also introduced a pre-registration facility (applyvr.election.gov.np) on its website (www.election.gov.np), allowing applicants to submit forms online before visiting Provincial or District Election Offices to provide biometric details.

The drive will also allow voters to update their information in cases of relocation, change of residence after marriage, or correction in names or other details.

In a televised address to the nation on Thursday evening, Prime Minister Karki said discussion was ongoing with the Election Commission to allow Nepalis abroad to exercise their voting rights.