KATHMANDU, Nov 30: The Election Commission (EC) has added 168 new polling stations ahead of the upcoming national elections, raising the total to 10,967 after removing 93 outdated or impractical sites, the commission said on Sunday.
EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said the nationwide review aimed to improve voter access and correct long-standing issues such as inaccurate station names, outdated addresses, and locations that were difficult for voters to reach. Some booths were merged or shifted to more suitable areas.
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The change comes as voter numbers have surged. More than 835,000 new voters have been added to the roll, including 344,914 through biometric enrollment and 492,180 via the national ID system. Nepal now has 18,168,023 registered voters. The commission typically adds one polling centre for every 1,000 new voters, and officials said the latest expansion broadly aligns with that standard.
“This number, however, is also not final as we can add polling stations if necessary or remove them if not found feasible to hold,” Bhattarai said.
The growing number of polling locations will also require a larger security force. Nepal Police has already begun preparations to recruit around 132,000 temporary police personnel, roughly 15,000 more than in the previous election.
According to DIG Abi Narayan Kafle, final recruitment numbers will be set once the government confirms whether any additional polling centres are needed. Temporary police will receive the same basic salary, uniform and travel allowances as regular personnel.
A streamlined three-layer security arrangement led by Nepal Police, supported by the Armed Police Force and the Nepali Army—has been approved to safeguard the polls, with temporary police forming the innermost support ring.
