We have prioritised digital outreach

The Election Commission (EC) is all set to conduct House of Representatives (HoR) election next week. There is quite a lot of worry and concern how the EC will conclude the election successfully. In this context, secretary of Election Commission Krishna Bahadur Raut spoke with Manjima Dhakal of The Rising Nepal and a Gorkhapatra team. Excerpts:

The Election Commission is engaged in final preparations for the upcoming House of Representatives election to be held on March 5. What tasks have been completed so far, and what remains to be done?

In accordance with the schedule prepared by the Commission for the election to be held on March 5, we have completed all tasks assigned within the designated timeline, and in fact, we have completed them even ahead of schedule. Under this process, activities such as procurement and transportation of election materials, printing and distribution of ballot papers, operation of voter education programmes, mobilization of volunteers, selection of polling officers and other staff to be deployed at each polling centre, and providing them with training have all been progressing as planned. All major preparatory work has moved forward in line with the schedule.

In every election, procurement and management of election materials have become increasingly complicated. How has the Election Commission managed procurement this time?

Indeed, the most complicated aspect of conducting an election is the management and printing of election materials. To conduct an election, a wide range of materials is required from thread to various specialised items and all of these must reach each polling station. Therefore, management of these materials has always been a complex issue.

This time, the election was announced under special circumstances, and we had very limited time. We allocated the budget and adopted a decentralised procurement approach. The allocated budget was distributed to all 77 districts, enabling them to procure election materials locally.

In total, 3,751 types of election materials had to be procured or printed. Out of these, 37 types were printed and procured at the district level itself. We adopted decentralised procurement so that districts could handle these materials locally. However, to maintain nationwide uniformity, 14 types of items and certain printing tasks were handled centrally.

Due to time constraints, for central procurement we adopted a method of purchasing directly from public entities (government-to-government procurement). Under this approach, the Election Commission signed an agreement with the Food Management and Trading Company Limited. According to this agreement, all required materials were delivered to the Election Commission, and from the Commission’s premises they were dispatched to all districts. Those materials have already been sent out and are currently being transported to respective districts.

Meanwhile, all seven provincial election offices and district election offices conducted their own local procurement processes by signing agreements with local vendors. In some districts, materials were also procured from local depots of the Food Management and Trading Company. Those materials have now been received, and districts are currently sorting and packing them.

Thus, this time we placed greater emphasis on procuring materials through public institutions (G2G procurement). 

Regarding printing of highly sensitive matter, we printed the voter list at the commission’s own printing press. With support from UNDP, we received five new machines, along with toner, ink, and other necessary supplies. We purchased the paper ourselves and printed the voter lists internally before sending them to all districts.

As for ballot printing, it has always been done by Janak Education Materials Centre Limited, and we continued that practice. This time, we printed around 7 million sample ballots and approximately 41.1 million ballots for both proportional representation and first-past-the-post system, totaling around 42.1 million ballot papers. The printing was completed a week ago, and transportation of ballot papers from Janak Education to various districts is currently underway.

Regarding transportation of ballot papers and other election materials, especially in Himalayan and hill districts where snowfall may obstruct roads, how are you making arrangements to deliver materials to polling centres?

In some high Himalayan regions there is snow accumulation. However, so far we have not received reports of major difficulties caused specifically by snowfall.

In districts such as Humla, Dolpa, Mugu, Manang, Mustang, and other high-altitude areas where polling centres are located above 3,000 metres, district-level transportation plans have been prepared. In places where roads are accessible, materials are transported by road; in other areas, helicopter service is used.

For certain high Himalayan polling centres, transportation both for delivering materials and for retrieving ballot boxes after voting will be done by helicopter. The Nepal Army has already begun assisting in this transportation work.

Most materials are being transported by road. Through competitive bidding, we signed agreements with the lowest bidders. Compared to the previous election, transportation costs via road have been reduced by about 67 per cent. There are two main reasons for this: first, there is no provincial election this time, so the volume of materials is lower; second, decentralised procurement reduced the amount of materials that needed to be transported from the centre.

Transportation is managed in three stages, from the Election Commission to District Election Offices, from District Election Offices to the polling station offices, and then polling stations to polling centres.

After voting, ballot boxes are transported from 23,120 polling centres back to counting centres. The Commission has released budgets to all 77 District Administration Offices for this purpose. In cases where districts report insufficient funds, additional allocations are made.

Thus, ballot delivery, election material transportation, and post-voting ballot box return have all been systematically organised.

The Commission has promoted the concept of a “Green Election.” How has this been implemented from the centre to polling stations?

This time, the commission has reduced the printing of publications such as pamphlets and leaflets as much as possible. The code of conduct discourages candidates and political parties from excessive use of printed promotional materials. In previous elections, a large number of manuals and directives were printed. This time, most directives have been distributed digitally in PDF format.

Only essential documents have been printed. For example, one copy of the polling directive is provided to each polling officer at every polling centre. Other directives have been printed in limited quantities no more than 4,000 to 5,000 copies.

By minimising paper usage and encouraging environmentally friendly arrangements at polling centres, we have advanced the green election initiative.

Voter education volunteers are visiting homes. How are they training voters?

We mobilised voter education volunteers in all 6,743 wards across 753 local levels. Additionally, an election contact person has been designated at each local level to monitor the programme.

Volunteers are deployed for 15 days from 15 February to 1 March. Training was conducted in phases, first, central-level training for representatives from all 77 districts; then district-level training for local coordinators; and finally training at the local level for volunteers.

Volunteers use sample ballots, stamps, and demonstration materials to teach proper voting procedures. They conduct door-to-door visits, community meetings, and even sessions in schools. Importantly, they provide education in local languages and dialects, making the programme more effective. The primary objective is to reduce invalid votes and ensure voters use their ballots correctly.

How is the Commission addressing misinformation, including AI-generated content?

We have adopted two approaches. First, producing and disseminating accurate information widely, secondly, identifying and acting against harmful or misleading content. We have established an Election Information Dissemination and Coordination Centre, which includes, Information Integrity Promotion Unit, Press Office, Digital Voter Education Unit.

These units monitor social media using monitoring tools, identify toxic content, categorise it, and coordinate action. So far, 4,767 pieces of toxic content have been identified. Of these, 29 were referred to the cyber bureau for takedown, 70 clarification notices were issued by the commission of which 40 responses received and 65 cases were referred to the Press Council. We also coordinate with the Advertisement Board and Nepal Telecommunications Authority to block harmful content and DNS services when necessary.

How is the Commission managing election code of conduct violations?

The campaign period runs from 16 February to 2 March. Monitoring committees have been formed at central and district levels. Chief Returning Officers head district-level monitoring committees. Assistant Chief District Officers and heads of Financial Comptroller Offices have been appointed as Code of Conduct Monitoring Officers.

So far, actions have been taken in various cases, including issuing clarification notices and removing violations. Monitoring is decentralized but coordinated centrally to ensure effectiveness.

How are accessibility and staffing managed at polling stations?

There are 10,967 polling stations and 23,120 polling centres. We have instructed that polling stations must be disability-friendly wherever possible. We have coordinated with local governments to ensure access to drinking water, toilets, and other necessary facilities. Monitoring teams verify these arrangements, and staff deployment is managed according to established guidelines.

What initiatives has the Commission taken to ensure effective management of polling centres during elections?

The Commission has been conducting training and orientation programmes for Chief Returning Officers and Deputy Chief Returning Officers. Previously, it also organised Training of Trainers (ToT) programmes at provincial level from an election management perspective.

Polling centres staff play a crucial role in the electoral process. If these personnel perform their duties in a well-managed and professional manner, situations requiring re-polling can be avoided. Therefore, the Commission has also been providing comprehensive training to all employees deployed for election duties.

The training covers legal provisions, all-party meetings, polling centre setup, mock polling procedures, accessible polling centres, as well as the duties and responsibilities of polling officials.

The Commission has ensured reach to every polling centre and has developed clear election directives. Voting officers will carry out their responsibilities in accordance with these directives.

How is the Commission encouraging participation of Gen Z and first-time voters? What are your messages?

Compared to the 2022 election, over 834,000 first-time voters registered this time. We have prioritised digital outreach because Gen Z primarily use digital platforms. Volunteers and staff are encouraged to be sensitive toward young voters and help motivate them.

We believe young voters will not only participate actively and they also encourage their families to vote, helping increase overall turnout. The election on March 5 is being conducted under challenging circumstances. It is a crucial opportunity to select appropriate representatives and strengthen governance and institutional systems. I urge all voters not to miss this opportunity and to participate actively to make the election successful.