KATHMANDU: With voters seeking clarity on voter ID cards, polling center changes and election code of conduct violations, the Election Commission (EC) has activated a toll-free call center (1102) to address election-related queries and complaints.
The call center, established on January 19, operates from the upper floor of the Commission’s main building and is staffed by 10 employees from 9 AM to 6 PM daily. Although staff leave after office hours, complaints can be registered 24 hours a day, with calls received after hours recorded in the system and addressed the following day.
During a visit by Khabarhub to the call center on Sunday at around 11 AM, staff were seen juggling live calls while simultaneously resolving complaints logged since Friday evening.
Voter list-related queries dominate
According to Call Center Chief Madhusudan Pudasaini, the highest number of complaints relate to the voter list, followed by queries on the election code of conduct and voter education.
“We have continued the call center this election as well to address questions and concerns from voters, citizens and stakeholders,” Pudasaini said. “We receive more than 100 calls daily.”
Many callers, he said, still ask whether voter registration is open or whether they can vote using a national identity card if their name is not on the voter list.
“If a person’s name is not registered in the voter list, voting is not allowed on the basis of any identity document,” staff member Nirjala Aryal told one caller who said he was abroad during voter registration.
Similarly, staff member Saraswati Shrestha forwarded a legal query from a trade union employee seeking to resign and work in the election process to the Commission’s legal division for clarification.
Call statistics
In the 25 days since its establishment, the call center has recorded 2,197 calls. Of these, 1,139 complaints were related to voter lists, 208 to the election code of conduct, 107 to voter education, and the rest to other issues.
The center provided live guidance to 1,962 callers, while 237 complaints were registered between 6 PM and 9 AM, outside office hours.
Voter list confusion persists
Pudasaini said confusion remains despite the voter list timeline being clearly defined. Under existing law, voter registration closes once election dates are announced. However, the Gen-Z-led government issued an ordinance allowing voter registration for the upcoming election.
The government announced the election date on September 12, 2025, reopening voter registration from September 25 to November 21, 2025, with time allowed until December 12, 2025, for correcting errors and changing polling centers within the same ward.
Despite the call center being established after these deadlines, most complaints continue to revolve around voter list issues.
Monitoring code of conduct violations
The EC is also monitoring social media platforms for election code violations. According to Pudasaini, content on TikTok and Viber is directly regulated by the Commission, while complaints related to other platforms are addressed by emailing the respective companies to remove content and seeking clarification from those involved.
The call center will remain operational until certificates are distributed to elected candidates, the Commission said.
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