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Mahesh Bhatta
6 March 2026 |
Nepal held an early general election on 5 March 2026, the third one since the promulgation of Nepal’s Constitution in 2015, to elect the 275 members of the House of Representatives. The election was announced on 12 September 2025, following the Gen Z protests in September 2025, which led to the resignation of the government led by former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
About the Elections
The election was held in a single phase nationwide. The Election Commission of Nepal set up 10,963 polling stations and 23,112 polling centres. Around 4,500 observers from three international organizations and 37 national organizations monitored the election. This number is lower compared to the more than 20,000 observers present during the 2022 national election.
More than 18.9 million people were registered to vote in the 2026 election, including nearly one million first-time voters. Around 52 per cent of the electorate is between the ages of 18 and 40, indicating a strong presence of youth voters in the election. The overall voter turnout exceeded 60 per cent, which is comparable to participation levels seen in recent elections in Nepal. In the 2022 parliamentary election, voter turnout was 61.63 per cent, while it was 68.67 per cent in 2017 and reached 78.34 per cent in 2013, the highest turnout recorded in recent years.
Voters cast two separate ballots. First to elect 165 members through the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system from individual constituencies. Second, to elect 110 members through proportional representation from a nationwide party list. In total, more than 3,400 candidates from 68 political parties contested the election.
This election is widely seen as a contest between traditional political parties and emerging reform-oriented forces. Major parties such as the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) are competing alongside new political parties like the Rastriya Swatantra Party and independent candidates, many of whom have attracted strong support from younger voters. The election is therefore considered a test of whether the recent youth-driven political movement can translate into electoral change.
Polling: Mostly peaceful, despite a few exceptions
Overall, voting was peaceful and enthusiastic across the country, with only a few minor disturbances. The Election Commission reported that no polling center was officially suspended during the day. There were brief disputes in Dolakha, Sarlahi, and Rautahat districts, but the issues were quickly resolved and voting resumed normally.
Voting did not take place at two polling centers in Darchula district after local residents decided to boycott the election. The boycott occurred at the Gaurishankar Basic School polling center in Naugad Rural Municipality–1 (Nagu) and the Dudhila Basic School polling center in Api Himal Rural Municipality–3 (Jhusku). According to polling officials, no voters had cast their votes at these centers. Residents in Jhusku stated that they were protesting because a decision taken in 2017 to divide the ward had still not been implemented, and therefore they refused to participate in the voting process.
The government implemented strong security measures to ensure peaceful voting. More than 300,000 security personnel, including the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and the Nepal Army, were deployed across the country. Security forces were stationed at polling stations and sensitive locations to prevent disturbances. As part of the security plan, the movement of public and private vehicles was restricted nationwide from midnight before election day.
Initial reactions from political leaders
Leaders thanked voters and institutions for conducting the election peacefully. Former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”, coordinator of the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), thanked the government, civil servants, security personnel, political parties, civil society and voters for the successful completion of the election. He said the election was conducted in a peaceful, democratic environment and added that his party would respect the people’s decision and move forward in unity for the country’s best interest.
Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa said that the participation of voters across the country shows people’s strong faith in democracy. He also thanked the government, the Election Commission, security agencies, media and both national and international observers.
Senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Balen Shah, said that democracy had prevailed after the successful completion of the election under Prime Minister Sushila Karki. In a social media message, he thanked the prime minister and wrote, “Under your leadership today, democracy has won.”
What about the results?
Overall, the 2026 general election in Nepal was conducted smoothly and peacefully, with robust security measures and steady voter turnout. Many voters, especially young people, enthusiastically participated, reflecting the political momentum generated by the recent protests.
Ballot boxes are now being collected from across the country, with some expected to be airlifted from around 15 remote districts. Vote counting will begin soon, and preliminary results are expected within a day, while final results may take a few more days.
The Election Commission plans to announce the results of the 165 directly elected seats within 24 hours after vote counting begins. However, collecting ballot boxes from remote areas, especially mountainous regions, may take time. In some places, ballot boxes must be carried by hand or transported by helicopter, which can delay the process. Because of this, the results of the proportional representation vote may take some additional days.
The Election Commission has stated that it aims to complete the vote counting by 9 March. In the 2022 election, it took nearly two weeks to finalize the results.
About the author
Mahesh Bhatta is a Research Officer at CSAS, Kathmandu.
