Stakeholders in Province 4 have urged the Election Commission to send voter education materials and mobilise voter educators at the earliest. 

They said with the  candidates and activists of various political parties already campaigning for the upcoming provincial and federal elections, the EC should also start its voter education programme.  

Sitaram Sharma, the election officer of Manang district, said their plan to run voter education programme has been hit because the EC has yet to send the education materials. 

“We are going to appoint volunteers and mobilise them even if the voter education materials don’t arrive on time,” he said. 

He added that the volunteers will be mobilised in the district from November 2. 

According to the EC policy, one volunteer should be appointed in each voting centre to provide voter education a month ahead of the election. 

This time voters should cast their ballots separately for provincial and federal elections. There will be two ballot papers for the first past the post (FPTP) system and the proportional election system.

Stakeholders said the EC should sends voter education materials and deploy voter educators soon to teach all voters about the voting procedure. The first phase of election is going to be held on the mountain and the hill districts. 

“We have already finalised the names of volunteers but decision is yet to be made,” said Gorkha Election Officer Narayan Sapkota, informing that his office will deploy volunteers in the constituencies after the EC sends voter education materials. 

On Wednesday, the EC sent letter to its local election offices, directing them to appoint volunteers and mobilise them in the constituencies within November 2. 

“Other stakeholders should also take the initiative to share information on the voting procedure. The political parties, civil society and other stakeholders could also educate people how to cast their votes,” said Regional Election Officer Ganga Lal Subedi.