Ballot Distribution Begins as Nepal Enters Final Election Countdown
Logistical preparations for Nepal’s March 5 House of Representatives (HoR) election reached a critical milestone today as the Janak Education Materials Centre announced the near completion of ballot paper printing. Distribution to districts across the country is scheduled to commence on Tuesday, February 17.
Managed by the Election Commission (EC), the massive printing operation covered over 41 million ballot papers in just 40 days—two days ahead of schedule. This includes 20,323,000 ballots for the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system and 20,830,000 for Proportional Representation (PR). With only 500,000 FPTP papers remaining as of Monday morning, officials confirmed that the final batch would be ready by this evening.
Campaigning Goes Full-Scale As the countdown hits the 17-day mark, political parties and candidates have officially launched their formal publicity campaigns. Under the strict Election Code of Conduct, full-fledged electioneering is permitted until the midnight of March 1.
Officiating Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari has reiterated a “zero-tolerance” policy regarding campaign violations, particularly concerning the use of AI, deepfakes, and the illegal use of children in rallies. The EC has mobilized monitoring teams nationwide to ensure that the environment remains “free, fair, and transparent” as nearly 19 million voters prepare to head to the polls.
