KATHMANDU: As the House of Representatives election continues nationwide, every eligible voter has the right to cast their ballot at designated polling centers.
However, government employees, police, and armed forces personnel deployed for election duty can vote only in the proportional representation (PR) system at their assigned booths, according to election rules. They must present their official identity cards at temporary polling centers to exercise this right.
Several duty-bound staff have reportedly complained that they were unable to vote, claiming that election officials did not allow them to cast their ballots. One police officer explained that staff whose names were missing from the polling center’s list were being prevented from voting. If unaddressed, over 300,000 votes could potentially go uncast in the proportional system.
Election Commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said the commission is facilitating the process but emphasized that the issue is primarily the responsibility of the Chief Election Officer (CEO) in each district, who has the authority to ensure proper voting arrangements.
“This should not have escalated to the commission level. District CEOs are authorized to certify temporary voter lists. In Kathmandu, minor issues have emerged, and our teams are helping with facilitation. We are aware that some names may have been left out during updates, and our colleagues are assisting to resolve these,” Bhattarai said.
He added that while the commission is supporting the process, it cannot guarantee that all issues will be fully resolved at the national level. “Our role is policy-level facilitation. The districts are responsible for verifying and updating temporary voter lists,” he explained.
The commission is urging all election officials to ensure deployed staff are able to exercise their voting rights in the PR system without obstruction.
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