Voter Roll Expands by 915,119

The number of eligible voters in Nepal has increased by 915,119, according to the Election Commission (EC).

Releasing the final voter list for the House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5, 2026, the EC said on Saturday, December 27, that a total of 18,903,689 individuals are eligible to vote. This includes 9,663,358 men, 9,240,131 women, while 200 are listed under the “other” category. The figure is up from 17,988,570 voters in the previous roll.

The number of male voters increased by 522,552, female voters by 392,552, while those listed under the “other” category rose by 15, the EC said in a statement.

The commission has also expanded pooling stations and centres. There will be 10,967 polling stations, 75 more than in the 2022 general elections. Likewise, the number of polling centres has been increased to 23,112, up by 885 from the last polls.

The EC resumed voter registration in late September, initially until November 16. It was earlier suspended after the announcement of the House of Representatives elections. On November 14, the deadline was extended by five days, until November 21.

Just days before the original deadline, the government also introduced a new system allowing National Identity Card (NID) holders to register online. Launched on November 13, the system removed the need for in-person visits, as biometric verification was carried out digitally through the national ID database.

Previously, voter registration relied solely on citizenship certificates. Applicants were required to pre-register online and then visit district or provincial election offices to submit biometric details.