EMBNominations:
5 members selected by the President, on recommendation of the Constitutional Council. Expert based membership.
EMBTenure:
6 years
Who Runs Election:
Election Management Body
Nameof Elect Enforcement Body:
Supreme Court
Candidacy & Campaign Rules
Restrictto Candidacy:
Nepali citizens who are at least 35 years old on the date of candidate registration (January 24, 2018), are registered electors, not disqualified by any law, and have registered with the Election Commission, Nepal (ECN) as a candidate, may contest the election. Candidates may run as independents or be nominated by political parties who have registered to contest the elections. Twenty-one parties registered with the ECN by the cut-off date of January 14, 2018, however only seven parties8 nominated candidates due to the belief of minor parties that they would be unable to elect candidates from an electoral college. There are no independent candidates contesting these elections.
Debate Format:
/
Opinion Polls Embargo:
Embargo for longer
Electoral System & Organisation
Elect System Main Election:
Mixed
Main Election Type:
Legislative
Main Election Cycle:
5
Numb Round Main Election:
One
Referenda_Law:
If a two-thirds majority of the total number of the then members of the federal parliament decides that it is necessary to take decision on any issue of national importance through referendum, such issue may be decided through referendum. Source: Constitution of Nepal 2015, Article 275
Voting Machine:
None
Vote IDRequired:
ID check compulsory
Polling Card:
Polling card sent but not compulsory
National Holiday Elect Day:
Never
Districting Source:
Other Independent Body
Districting Flexibility:
Population as the main basis and geography as the second basis for representation and there shall be at least one election constituency in each district within the state (province). While delimitating electoral constituencies, the population and geographical convenience, the density of population, geographical specificity, administrative and transportation convenience, community and cultural aspects of the constituencies must be taken into consideration.
Frequency Districting Change:
10
Polling Station
Average Voterby Polling Station:
657
Polling Station Numbers:
18572
Listof Polling Station Buildings:
public buildings
Accessibility Requirement:
Party to UNCRPD. Voters with disabilities will be able to cast their ballots with assistance from an immediate family member or the polling officer. In the 2013 Constituent Assembly elections, persons with disabilities could select a person of their choice to cast their ballot for them, but this is not allowed by the current legal framework.
Ballot Box Transparency:
Transparent
Box Feeding System:
Voter
Vote Receipt:
No receipt
Count Locallyor Centrally:
centrally
Manualor Automatic Count:
manual
Nature Counting Personnel:
Returning Officer
Ballot Paper
Ballot Type:
Paper
Singleor Multi Paper Ballot:
Single
Ballot Paper Type Description:
Single Ballot Paper with Symbols.
Ballot Paper Type Photo Upload:
YES
Ballot Logos:
Freely Allowed
Remote Voting
Temporal Remote Voting:
No
Geographical Remote Voting:
No
Personal Remote Voting:
No
Mobile Polling Stations:
No
Special Needs
Provision First Time Voters:
Illustrations by Election Commission. Voter Education posters.
Provision Illiterate Voters:
Ballot with Symbols
Special Provision Female Voters:
Different Queue for Men and WOmen. Priority for Pregnant Women. Pregnant women and those with babies (amongst others) are given priority in the queue.
Provision Blind Voters:
Local Level Election Act (2017). Article 38, Disabled Voters states: (1) If any voter is unable to vote by him/herself due to visual impairment or physical disability or due to any other reason and requests permission for his/her immediate family member to accompany him/her and assist in the task of marking the vote or requests the Polling Officer to assist in the task on marking the vote and if the Polling Officer feels it right, he/she can give permission to such immediate family member to enter the place of polling along with such voter or as per the wish of such voter may assist him/her in marking the vote.
Provision Deaf Voters:
Local Level Election Act (2017). Article 38, Disabled Voters states: (1) If any voter is unable to vote by him/herself due to visual impairment or physical disability or due to any other reason and requests permission for his/her immediate family member to accompany him/her and assist in the task of marking the vote or requests the Polling Officer to assist in the task on marking the vote and if the Polling Officer feels it right, he/she can give permission to such immediate family member to enter the place of polling along with such voter or as per the wish of such voter may assist him/her in marking the vote.
Provision Motor Handicap Voters:
Local Level Election Act (2017). Article 38, Disabled Voters states: (1) If any voter is unable to vote by him/herself due to visual impairment or physical disability or due to any other reason and requests permission for his/her immediate family member to accompany him/her and assist in the task of marking the vote or requests the Polling Officer to assist in the task on marking the vote and if the Polling Officer feels it right, he/she can give permission to such immediate family member to enter the place of polling along with such voter or as per the wish of such voter may assist him/her in marking the vote.
Over Representation Vuln Group:
33% of candidates for the first-past-the-post system and the proportional representation system combined must be women (Article 63 (5)). Each party must ensure that the number of women candidates is at least one third of the total number of candidates to be fielded by a political party in the proportional elections and in the first-past-the-post electoral system (Constituent Assembly Ordinance 2013). 1/3 of Party lists: Each party must ensure that the number of women candidates is at least one third of the total number of candidates to be fielded by a political party in the proportional elections and in the first-past-the-post electoral system (Constituent Assembly Ordinance 2013). 40% for Local elections: The 1999 Local Self Government Act states that among the nominated candidates in elections to municipal councils, at least 40% of candidates must be women (Article 76).
Targeted Initiatives
Transparency Initiative:
presence of political parties and candidates or their vote counting agents. On poll day, the polling officer issues a permit pass to candidates, agents and non-partisans observers as they arrive. Empty ballot box is shown to all for assurance of fairness and is sealed later.