The Election Commission (EC) is starting voters’ registration and updating process in all local units on Monday for the provincial and federal parliamentary elections. The process runs until August 16. 

While the election body has been registering voters from its regional and district election offices in all 75 districts since July 16, the latest move is expected to increase the number of registered voters.

A total of 14,054,482 citizens were listed as eligible to vote in the local level elections.

“We are sending at least one staff from the district election offices to the local units.

Additional 2-3 staffers will be deployed from the concerned local units for registration purpose,” said EC Spokesperson Surya Sharma.  

The EC had initially planned to conduct the registration and updating process only at the regional and district election offices, citing monsoon and time constraints. But ult decided to go to the local levels following pressure from the political parties.  

According to EC officials, there has been a stronger interest among people in registering their names compared following the local elections were held in the first and second phases on May 14 and June 28.

As a result, regional and district election offices have been crowded with enthusiastic new and left out voters in the last elections.“Once the EC reaches to the local levels, there will be less pressure on regional and district offices,” said Sharma.

With the election body also implementing Out District Registration (ODR) Programme, EC’s regional office in Kathmandu and its district offices are witnessing huge crowds.

Although the registration and updating process at the local levels will conclude on August 16, the process will continue at EC’s regional and district offices until the date of the two elections are announced, the poll body said.