ECN extends voter enrollment deadline. Calls party registration for 2026 HoR, NA polls

The Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) has extended the voter registration deadline by five days, moving it from November 16 to November 21, ahead of the House of Representatives (HoR) election scheduled for March 5, 2026.

According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the extension follows a formal request from the interim government, emphasising the need to ensure the complete registration of all eligible citizens.

On November 13, the government enabled online registration using the National Identity Card (NID), eliminating the need for NID holders to visit election offices in person for biometric verification. The voter registration drive has already added over 200,000 NID-authenticated new voters, though several eligible citizens remain unregistered.

In other news, the government has reportedly allocated NRs 4.96 billion to the ECN for the upcoming HoR election, covering voter education and other election-related expenses. This falls short of the commission’s requested NRs 7 billion. However, ECN officials said the Home Ministry assured them that the reduced budget would not hinder election preparations.

The ECN has also invited political parties wishing to contest the upcoming HoR and National Assembly elections to register. According to a notice issued on Friday, party registration for the HoR will remain open from November 17 to 26, 2025, while registration for the National Assembly will be open from November 17 to 23.

The commission has requested that parties submit their registration applications along with a copy of the decision from the central committee, the annual audit report, and other required documents. 

Parties wishing to contest the HoR election jointly under a single election symbol must also submit relevant information along with their application. Additionally, parties are asked to provide their constitution, bylaws, manifesto, and a sample of their election symbol, including an electronic copy.

For the National Assembly, elections have been scheduled for January 25, 2026, to fill one-third seats that will become vacant from March 4.

Meanwhile, the ECN has published a draft of the Election Code of Conduct, 2082, inviting public feedback and suggestions. Citizens may submit their feedback via email or phone number listed on the ECN contact page.

(With inputs from RSS)