KATHMANDU, Feb 10: The Election Commission (EC) has announced that it will conduct a voter education program across all 6,743 wards nationwide from February 15 to March 1 by mobilizing voter education volunteers.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said one voter education volunteer will be deployed in each ward to implement the program.
Under the program, volunteers will visit communities and households to inform voters about the importance of elections and the voting process using sample ballot papers. As in previous elections, the EC has designated one contact person at each local level. For the upcoming election as well, the same contact persons have been assigned to monitor the voter education program.
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Bhattarai said district-level and local-level training and orientation programs for voter education monitors and volunteers are currently underway and are expected to be completed by mid-February.
The EC has also been disseminating election-related materials through its official social media platforms. In addition, mass media will be mobilized to broaden voter education and make election publicity programs more effective.
Through the program, voters are expected to gain knowledge about voting procedures, the use of ballot papers, the importance of secret ballots, the election code of conduct, and ways to avoid misinformation and disinformation.
For the House of Representatives (HoR) election scheduled for March 5, the EC has approved the Voter Education Special Program 2082 BS in accordance with the Election Education and Voter Education Directive, 2078 BS. The program aims to provide voters with accurate information on voting procedures and the election code of conduct.
The special program was approved on February 2 with the objective of informing citizens in a timely manner about the election process, the exercise of voting rights, and voting methods, Bhattarai said.
He added that in line with the Constitution of Nepal 2015, prevailing election laws, the Voter Education Policy, and Section 17 of the Election Education and Voter Education Directive, 2078 BS, the EC has prepared and approved the special program to conduct voter education and election publicity.
According to Bhattarai, the key objectives of the program are to provide accurate, factual, and useful information to citizens; promote a responsible and informed voting culture; increase voter participation; and reduce invalid votes. Volunteers, mass media, and social media will be mobilized for the campaign.
