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There are three types ofelections inNepal: elections to thefederal parliament, elections to theprovincial assemblies and elections to thelocal government. Within each of these categories, there may beby-elections as well as general elections. Currently three electoral systems are used:parallel voting for theHouse of Representatives and provincial assemblies,single transferable vote for theNational Assembly, andfirst-past-the-post for local elections.

Party		Party list			Constituency			Total seats	+/–
		Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats
	Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist)	2,845,641	26.95	34	3,233,567	30.83	44	78	–43
	Nepali Congress	2,715,225	25.71	32	2,431,907	23.19	57	89	+26
	Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)—Nepal Socialist Party[1]	1,175,684	11.13	14	982,826	9.37	18	32	–21
	Rastriya Swatantra Party	1,130,344	10.70	13	815,023	7.77	7	20	New
	Rastriya Prajatantra Party	588,849	5.58	7	549,340	5.24	7	14	+13
	People's Socialist Party, Nepal	421,314	3.99	5	379,337	3.62	7	12	–22
	Janamat Party	394,655	3.74	5	292,554	2.79	1	6	New
	Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist)	298,391	2.83	0	436,020	4.16	10	10	New
	Nagrik Unmukti Party	271,722	2.57	0	172,205	1.64	3	3	New
	Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Nepal	167,367	1.58	0	169,692	1.62	4	4	New
	Nepal Workers Peasants Party	75,168	0.71	0	71,567	0.68	1	1	0
	Hamro Nepali Party	55,743	0.53	0	57,077	0.54	0	0	New
	Mongol National Organisation	49,000	0.46	0	42,892	0.41	0	0	0
	Rastriya Janamorcha	46,504	0.44	0	57,278	0.55	1	1	0
	Nepal Federal Socialist Party	41,830	0.40	0	7,172	0.07	0	0	0
	Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist)	30,599	0.29	0	18,716	0.18	0	0	0
	Rastriya Janamukti Party	23,934	0.23	0	34,012	0.32	0	0	0
	People's Progressive Party	18,059	0.17	0	37,511	0.36	0	0	New
	Nepal Naulo Janwadi Party―Nepal Aama Party―Nepal Sushashan Party―Sachet Nepali Party	17,902	0.17	0	18,495	0.18	0	0	New
	Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch	17,805	0.17	0	11,488	0.11	0	0	0
	Bahujan Ekata Party Nepal	17,080	0.16	0	7,274	0.07	0	0	New
	Nepali Congress (B.P.)	12,502	0.12	0	13,123	0.13	0	0	0
	Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal	12,340	0.12	0	10,087	0.10	0	0	New
	Nepali Janata Dal	10,137	0.10	0	1,654	0.02	0	0	0
	Bahujan Shakti Party	9,435	0.09	0	6,710	0.06	0	0	0
	Nepalka Lagi Nepali Party	8,436	0.08	0	3,893	0.04	0	0	New
	Nepal Communist Party	8,013	0.08	0	313	0.00	0	0	New
	Nepal Loktantrik Party	7,705	0.07	0	3,842	0.04	0	0	New
	Nepal Janata Party	7,518	0.07	0	2,269	0.02	0	0	New
	Communist Party of Nepal Marxist (Pushpa Lal)	7,402	0.07	0	1,760	0.02	0	0	New
	Miteri Party Nepal	7,043	0.07	0	22	0.00	0	0	New
	Janajagaran Party Nepal	6,550	0.06	0	324	0.00	0	0	New
	Aamul Pariwartan Masiha Party Nepal	6,429	0.06	0	1,366	0.01	0	0	0
	Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party	5,977	0.06	0	12,203	0.12	0	0	New
	Janasamajbadi Party	5,925	0.06	0	3,030	0.03	0	0	0
	Nepal Dalit Party―Samajik Ekata Party―Communist Party of Nepal (Socialist)	5,839	0.06	0	478	0.00	0	0	New
	Pichhadibarga Nishad Dalit Janajati Party	5,105	0.05	0	379	0.00	0	0	New
	Bibeksheel Sajha Party	4,049	0.04	0	2,446	0.02	0	0	0
	Ekikrit Shakti Nepal	3,792	0.04	0	3,026	0.03	0	0	New
	Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Socialist)	3,702	0.04	0	766	0.01	0	0	New
	Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch (Tharuhat)	3,406	0.03	0	293	0.00	0	0	0
	Rastriya Mukti Andolan Nepal	3,354	0.03	0			0	0	0
	Maulik Jarokilo Party	3,256	0.03	0	2,416	0.02	0	0	New
	Nepal Samabeshi Party	2,963	0.03	0			0	0	0
	Communist Party of Nepal (Paribartan)	2,220	0.02	0	364	0.00	0	0	New
	Rastriya Nagarik Party	2,150	0.02	0	149	0.00	0	0	0
	Nationalist People's Party	2,018	0.02	0	1,768	0.02	0	0	New
	Sajha Party Nepal				2,327	0.02	0	0	New
	Nepal Sadbhawana Party				660	0.01	0	0	New
	Nepal Bibeksheel Party				379	0.00	0	0	New
	Aitihasik Prajatantrik Janata Party Nepal				359	0.00	0	0	New
	Kirat Khambhuwan Sajha Party				278	0.00	0	0	New
	Khambuwan Rastriya Morcha Nepal				162	0.00	0	0	New
	Punarjagarn Party Nepal				141	0.00	0	0	New
	Nepalbad				131	0.00	0	0	0
	Tamangsaling Loktantrik Party				85	0.00	0	0	0
	Gandhibadi Party Nepal				60	0.00	0	–	New
	Rastriya Samajwadi Party Nepal				60	0.00	0	0	0
	Samajik Loktantrik Party				56	0.00	0	0	New
	Independents				584,629	5.57	5	5	+4
Total		10,560,082	100.00	110	10,487,961	100.00	165	275	0
Valid votes		10,560,082	94.91		10,487,961	94.94
Invalid/blank votes		566,144	5.09		559,076	5.06
Total votes		11,126,226	100.00		11,047,037	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		17,988,570	61.85		17,988,570	61.41

Party		Proportional			Constituency			Seats
		Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats	Nominated	Total
	Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)	3,144,204	29.28	100	3,145,519	30.52	120	9	229
	Nepali Congress	2,269,883	21.14	73	2,348,890	22.79	37	5	115
	Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)	2,183,370	20.33	70	2,229,064	21.63	33	5	108
	Madheshi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal	678,327	6.32	22	634,154	6.15	30	2	54
	Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party	338,930	3.16	11	345,587	3.35	9	1	21
	Rastriya Prajatantra Party	263,431	2.45	8	310,214	3.01	0	0	8
	Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist)	243,545	2.27	8	168,196	1.63	0	1	9
	Sadbhavana Party	167,517	1.56	5	174,086	1.69	4	0	9
	Janamorcha Nepal	164,381	1.53	5	136,846	1.33	2	1	8
	Communist Party of Nepal (United)	154,968	1.44	5	39,100	0.38	0	0	5
	Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal	110,519	1.03	4	76,684	0.74	0	0	4
	Rastriya Janamorcha	106,224	0.99	3	93,578	0.91	1	0	4
	Rastriya Janshakti Party	102,147	0.95	3	79,925	0.78	0	0	3
	Nepal Workers Peasants Party	74,089	0.69	2	65,908	0.64	2	1	5
	Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch	71,958	0.67	2	36,060	0.35	0	0	2
	Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandidevi)	55,671	0.52	2	45,254	0.44	0	1	3
	Rastriya Janamukti Party	53,910	0.50	2	38,568	0.37	0	0	2
	Nepali Janata Dal	48,990	0.46	2	17,162	0.17	0	0	2
	Communist Party of Nepal (Unified)	48,600	0.45	2	51,928	0.50	0	0	2
	Dalit Janajati Party	40,348	0.38	1	31,444	0.31	0	0	1
	Nepa Rastriya Party	37,757	0.35	1	11,352	0.11	0	0	1
	Samajbadi Prajatantrik Janata Party	35,752	0.33	1	13,246	0.13	0	0	1
	Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekta Party Nepal	28,575	0.27	1	18,908	0.18	0	0	1
	Nepal Loktantrik Samajbadi Dal	25,022	0.23	1	10,432	0.10	0	0	1
	Nepal Pariwar Dal	23,512	0.22	1				0	1
	Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist)	21,234	0.20	0	1,759	0.02	0	0	0
	Tamsaling Nepal Rastriya Dal	20,657	0.19	0	5,468	0.05	0	0	0
	Rastriya Janata Dal	19,305	0.18	0	5,556	0.05	0	0	0
	Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist)	18,717	0.17	0	10,076	0.10	0	0	0
	Lok Kalyankari Janta Party Nepal	18,123	0.17	0	6,700	0.07	0	0	0
	Nepal Janabhavana Party	13,173	0.12	0	104	0.00	0	0	0
	Rastriya Janata Dal Nepal	12,678	0.12	0	4,497	0.04	0	0	0
	Nepal Janata Party	12,531	0.12	0	5,635	0.05	0	0	0
	Mongol National Organisation	11,578	0.11	0	6,349	0.06	0	0	0
	Nepal Shanti Kshetra Parishad	10,565	0.10	0	45	0.00	0	0	0
	Shanti Party Nepal	10,511	0.10	0	970	0.01	0	0	0
	Rastriya Bikas Party	9,329	0.09	0	2,612	0.03	0	0	0
	Nepal Sukumbasi Party (Loktantrik)	8,322	0.08	0	1,459	0.01	0	0	0
	Nepal Rastriya Bikas Party	8,026	0.07	0	1,603	0.02	0	0	0
	Nepal Dalit Shramik Morcha	7,107	0.07	0	93	0.00	0	0	0
	Samajbadi Party Nepal	6,564	0.06	0	1,197	0.01	0	0	0
	Muskan Sena Nepal Party	6,292	0.06	0	2,490	0.02	0	0	0
	Nepali Congress (Rastrabadi)	5,721	0.05	0				0	0
	Nepal Samyabadi Dal	5,478	0.05	0	60	0.00	0	0	0
	Nawa Janabadi Morcha	5,193	0.05	0	992	0.01	0	0	0
	Hindu Prajatantrik Party	4,902	0.05	0	265	0.00	0	0	0
	Nepal Samata Party	4,697	0.04	0	459	0.00	0	0	0
	Rastrabadi Yuba Morcha	4,772	0.04	0	496	0.00	0	0	0
	League Nepal Shanti Ekta Party	4,443	0.04	0	316	0.00	0	0	0
	Rastrabadi Ekta Party	4,150	0.04	0	43	0.00	0	0	0
	Sa-Shakti Nepal	3,752	0.03	0	532	0.01	0	0	0
	Janamukti Party Nepal	3,396	0.03	0	281	0.00	0	0	0
	Nepal Rastriya Loktantrik Dal	3,216	0.03	0	57	0.00	0	0	0
	Nawa Nepal Prajatantrik Dal	3,016	0.03	0	34	0.00	0	0	0
	Liberal Samajbadi Party				152	0.00	0	0	0
	Nepal Rastriya Janakalayan Party				96	0.00	0	0	0
	Independents				123,619	1.20	2	0	2
Total		10,739,078	100.00	335	10,306,120	100.00	240	26	601
Valid votes		10,739,078	96.34		10,306,120	94.85
Invalid/blank votes		407,462	3.66		560,011	5.15
Total votes		11,146,540	100.00		10,866,131	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		17,611,832	63.29		17,611,832	61.70

In 1947, the government of prime ministerPadma Shumsher formed a Constitution Reform Committee under the leadership of General Bahadur Shamsher to reform the administration in the country. The Nepal Government Constitutional Law, 1948 envisioned abicameral legislature with thelower house called Rastra Sabha to have 42 elected members in addition to 28 members nominated by the prime minister. A provision was also included for an elected Village Panchayat with 5 to 15 members, an elected Municipal Panchayat with 10 to 50 members and an elected District Panchayat with 15 to 20 members. The elections for the bodies would be held on the basis ofnon-partisan democracy and all adults would have the right to franchise. The law was promulgated but never came into effect.^[2][3]

The Interim Administration Act of Nepal, 1952 promulgated byKing Tribhuwan after the end of theRana regime made provisions an Election Commission for the first time. The act also gave everyone in the country over the age of 21 a right toadult franchise. TheConstitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1959, prepared under the advice ofSir Ivor Jennings created 109 constituencies in the country and reiterated the right to adult franchise for everyone over the age of 21.^[2]

The constitution of 1990 had a provision for abicameral parliament. TheHouse of Representatives (lower house) and theNational Assembly (upper house). The country was divided into 205 constituencies which would elected members to the House of Representatives for a term of five years. The National Assembly had 60 members, 35 of whom would be elected by the electoral college of the House of Representatives, 3 each from the fivedevelopment regions of Nepal, 15 in total, which would be elected by an electoral college of village, municipalities and districts and 10 members appointed by themonarch. The right to franchise was also extended to everyone over the age of 18.^[2]

TheInterim Constitution of Nepal, 2007, promulgated after2006 revolution had provisions for aconstituent assembly that would draft a new constitution for the newly formedrepublic. The country was divided into 240 constituencies which would elect members to theConstituent Assembly of Nepal. In addition to this 335 seats to the assembly were to be filled using aproportional representation system and a further 26 members would be appointed. Theparty list for the proportional voting had reservations for women,Dalits,Indigenous peoples,Madheshis and people frombackward areas. Women would also have to make up one-third of the seats in the assembly.^[4][5]

TheConstitution of Nepal, 2015 that was drafted by the2nd Nepalese Constituent Assembly has provisions for abicameral legislature. TheHouse of Representatives and theNational Assembly would be the lower chamber and the upper chamber of the newFederal Parliament of Nepal. The country was divided into 165 constituencies which would elect members to the House of Representatives throughfirst-past-the-post voting and a further 110 members would be elected through theparty listproportional representation system. Theprovincial assemblies were also created for each of the sevenprovinces of Nepal. The assemblies would beunicameral and would elect 330 members throughfirst-past-the-post voting and 220 members would be elected through theparty listproportional representation system. The National Assembly would elect 56 members through an electoral college consisting of members of the lower house, provincial assemblies and the heads and deputy heads of each of the 753 local units in the country.^[2]

TheElection Commission of Nepal is formed of five Election Commissioners, one of whom is Chief Election Commissioner and acts as the chairperson. They serve one term of six years and are appointed by thePresident on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council. The Chief Election Commissioners and other Election Commissioners must hold a bachelor's degree, must not belong to a political party immediately before their appointment, must have attained the age of forty-five and must possess high moral character.^[6]

The Election Commission conducts, supervises, directs and controls the elections for thePresident,Vice-president,Federal Parliament, State Legislature and local bodies. It prepares a voters' list for the purpose of the election and holds referendums on subjects of national importance as per the Constitution and Federal law.^[7]

Following thedissolution of parliament all theMembers of Parliament forming theHouse of Representatives of theFederal Parliament of Nepal are elected. The term for theHouse of Representatives is five years, except when dissolved earlier. When theHouse of Representatives is dissolved the power ofFederal Parliament is carried out by theNational Assembly.^[8]

Candidates for eachconstituency seat are nominated by apolitical party or stand as independents. Each constituency elects oneMP under thefirst past the post system of election. As well, since Nepal uses aparallel voting system, voters cast another ballot to try to electMPs through theparty-list proportional representation. The current constitution specifies that 165MPs are elected from thefirst past the post system and 110MPs are elected through theparty-list proportional representation system. Women should account for one third of total members elected from each party and if at least a third are not elected in the district seats, the party shall have to elect enough women to make up a third of its total number of elected members, through theparty-list proportional representation portion of the election.^[8]

A party with an overall majority (more seats than all other parties combined) following an election forms the government. If no party has an outright majority by itself, parties can seek to form a coalition that is made up of a majority of members in the chamber and can pass laws.

Source:^[9]

According to Article 86 of theConstitution of Nepal 2015, the members of theNational Assembly are elected every six years through an electoral college. In addition to this, one-third of the members are retired every two years for six years by drawing a lottery.^[11]

The electoral college consists of members of the provincial assembly and Chairperson/Mayor and Vice Chairperson/Deputy Mayor of the local bodies within the state. Each provincial assembly members vote has a weight of forty eight whereas each Chairperson/Mayor/Vice Chairperson/Deputy Mayor vote has a weight of eighteen. The electoral college elects 56 members to the National Assembly and three members, including one woman, are nominated by the president on the recommendation of theGovernment of Nepal.^[11]

Following thedissolution of the provincial assembly all the members forming theProvincial Assembly are elected. The term for the Provincial Assembly is five years, except when dissolved earlier.^[13]

Candidates for eachconstituency are chosen by thepolitical parties or stand as independents. Each constituency elects one member under thefirst past the post system of election. Since Nepal uses aparallel voting system, voters cast another ballot to elect members through theparty-list proportional representation. The current constitution specifies that sixty percent of the members should be elected from thefirst past the post system and forty percent through theparty-list proportional representation system. Women should account for one third of total members elected from each party and if one-third percentage are not elected, the party that fails to ensure so shall have to elect one-third of total number as women through theparty-list proportional representation.^[13]

A party with an overall majority (more seats than all other parties combined) following an election forms the government. If a party has no outright majority, parties can seek to form coalitions.

The first provincial assembly elections in Nepal were held on 26 November and 7 December 2017.

• 2019 by-elections, 30 November 2019^[14]
  • Bhaktapur 1 (A),Bagmati
  • Baglung 2 (B),Gandaki
  • Dang 3 (B),Lumbini
• Bajhang 1 (A),Sudurpashchim, 27 April 2024^[15]

Elections are held for the municipal executive and municipal assemblies inmunicipalities and for the village executive and village assemblies inrural municipalities. The local executive consists of the elected mayor (or chair in rural municipalities), the deputy mayor (or the deputy chair in rural municipalities) and ward chairs of every ward in the local unit elected throughfirst-past-the-post voting and, five female members (four in rural municipalities) and three members of theDalit or minority community (two in rural municipalities) elected by the local assembly throughsingle non-transferable vote.^[16] The assembly consists of the mayor (chair in the case of village assemblies), the deputy mayor (deputy chair in village assemblies), ward chais and four members from each ward of the municipality or rural municipality. Two ward members must be female, one of whom must belong to thedalit community or aminority group. All elections to the village assembly are held on the basis offirst past the post system.^[17]

There has been one referendum held in Nepal, The1980 governmental system referendum of 2 May 1980.

• Censorship in Nepal
• Electoral calendar
• Electoral system
• Electoral roll
• Election commission

• Election Commission
• Adam Carr's Election Archive
• The Carter Center information on Nepal
• नेपालको निर्वाचनको इतिहास

• Elections in Nepal

• CS1 Nepali-language sources (ne)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from August 2018