837,094 New Voters Registered as Poll Closes

Kathmandu, November 23 -- The Election Commission has included 837,094 new voters in the list before the snap elections on March 5, followin...

Kathmandu, November 23 -- The Election Commission has included 837,094 new voters in the list before the snap elections on March 5, following the closure of registration on Friday.

Out of 344,914 individuals who registered via the commission's local offices, 492,189 had previously obtained national identity cards and were included in the list. The overall count of registered voters for the upcoming snap elections, set to occur in three and a half months, has now reached 19,005,324, representing an increase of approximately five percent.

On September 25, the commission initiated voter registration efforts aimed at young people. Individuals who acquired citizenship after turning 16 were eligible to be registered as voters, although only those who reach 18 years of age by March 4 would be permitted to vote.

Suman Ghimire, an information officer with the commission, mentioned that the figure could decrease once the final count is completed. "We will remove those individuals who have not yet turned 18 by March 4 from the final tally," he explained. The updated number, following verification, is set to be released on December 6.

As many as 17,988,570 voters — 9,140,806 men, 8,847,579 women, and 185 from other categories — were qualified to vote in November 2022. The total increased to 18,168,230 prior to the announcement of the election on September 12.

If the current number does not decrease significantly, over a million new voters will cast their votes for the first time in March. "We believe most of the newly registered voters are young people. We will soon publish data categorized by age," said Ghimire.

At first, the commission had set November 16 as the deadline for registration. People needed to go to the nearest district election office to register. However, following a request from Prime Minister Sushila Karki, data from the Department of National ID was combined with the commission, enabling individuals to register without visiting the election offices. The deadline was also extended by five days, providing more time for candidates to be listed.

The count of voters, as reported by authorities, is considered the most important information for concluding election preparations. The quantity of polling locations and booths, as well as the number of staff and law enforcement officers required, largely relies on voter statistics.

The number of applications for registering new political parties has risen significantly. The commission received nine requests for new parties prior to the Gen Z protests [September 8-9] during this fiscal year. The commission is currently reviewing applications from 33 additional parties, in addition to having already registered eight more.

To be recognized as a political party, an organization must present its constitution, flag, chosen election symbol, and the signatures of at least 500 voters, along with other required paperwork. Applicants for new parties consist of entrepreneurs, legislators from the dissolved House of Representatives, and social advocates, among others. Once the necessary documents are reviewed, registration certificates are issued.

According to the commission's records, the number of groups registered to take part in the House of Representatives election is growing daily. By Friday, this number had climbed to 40.

Nevertheless, the main political groups, the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, have not yet submitted their registration applications. Although the Congress has chosen to be listed, the UML is still uncertain. Only those parties that register with the commission by November 26 will be eligible to take part in the elections.