Nepal Elections 2026: Why are there two types of ballot in Nepal and what is mixed electoral system?

Nepal Elections 2026: This election will decide the composition of the House of Representatives and determine who forms the next government.

Published on: Mar 05, 2026 8:06 AM IST

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After a year marked by unrest and political instability, voters in Nepal headed to polls on Thursday, March 5, the first for the country since deadly student-led anti-corruption protests, often termed as Gen Z protests, toppled the KP Sharma Oli-led government in September 2025.

Nearly 19 million of Nepal's 30 million people are eligible to vote to pick a 275-member legislature in Nepal. (AP)

Nepal has since been under an interim government led by former chief justice Sushila Karki which promised to hold fresh elections and hand over power within six months. Right on time, the elections are being held to elect 275 members of parliament.

This election will decide the composition of the House of Representatives and determine who forms the next government.

Also read| Nepal Elections 2026: When will the result of the Gen Z-induced polls be declared?

Nepal’s mixed electoral system

Nepal follows a mixed electoral model that blends direct elections with proportional representation. The system is designed to balance local constituency representation with fairer national broader party strength.

First past the post (FPTP)

Under the First Past the Post system, 165 seats in the 275-member House are decided through direct contests.
The country is divided into constituencies, and in each one the candidate with the highest number of votes wins the seat, according to a report by The Sunday Guardian.

Proportional representation(PR)

A further 110 seats are allocated through proportional representation.
Voters cast a separate ballot for a political party rather than an individual candidate.

Why two voting systems?

The dual system is intended to prevent any single party from dominating Parliament outright.

When will the results of the Nepal elections be declared?

Nepal's Election Commission has promised to release the results of the 165 directly-elected seats within 24 hours of ballot boxes being collected from across the country, an exercise that typically takes at least a day.

Officiating Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari told local reporters that tallying the results of the proportional representation vote could take another two to three days. This is the type of voting that will decide the fate of candidates on 110 of the 275 seats.

Some of Nepal’s polling stations are located in difficult, mountainous terrain, making the collection of ballot boxes challenging. For some, the ballot boxes need to be carried down by hand, while at other places they have to be airlifted in and out of polling stations.

The Election Commission took more than two weeks to declare the final results of the last elections in the country, which were held in 2022.

Another reason for the delay is that political parties dispatch representatives to the counting centres. These representatives have sometimes disputed issues such as results and vote validity, further delaying the process.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shivya Kanojia
Shivya Kanojia is a journalist at Hindustan Times, where she works in the fast-paced digital news ecosystem with a strong sense of editorial judgement and a clear understanding of what makes a story both important and traffic-driven. An alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Shivya brings a thoughtful balance of news value and audience relevance to her work, ensuring stories resonate beyond the immediate headline. Over the course of her three-year journey in the digital news space, Shivya has worked across a wide range of beats, including politics, civic issues, human-interest features and trending news. This diverse exposure has shaped her ability to approach stories with nuance, adaptability and context, whether she is breaking down complex developments or spotlighting everyday narratives that often go unnoticed. She is particularly drawn to human-interest stories, interviews and explainers that offer depth and clarity, aiming to move past surface-level reporting to explore the people, emotions and circumstances behind the news. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Shivya worked with Firstpost and Times Now, where she covered a broad spectrum of topics and honed her skills in digital journalism . Outside the newsroom, Shivya enjoys discovering new cafés, drawn to good coffee, cosy spaces and unhurried conversations. Shopping is another pastime she cherishes, not always out of necessity, but often guided by instinct and the simple joy of stumbling upon unexpected finds. Above all, she treasures time spent with loved ones, finding meaning in shared laughter, simple moments and memories that linger long after.Read More

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