Khagendra Raj Dhakal, PhD and Liza Maharjan
Nepal Policy Institute
Executive Summary:
Nepal’s 2015 Constitution guarantees the right to vote for all its citizens, yet the external voting system remains a far cry, disenfranchising millions of Nepali citizens living, working or studying abroad.
The Gen Z–led uprising of September 2025, which prompted the Prime Minister’s resignation and the announcement of fresh elections in March 2026, has reignited calls for greater accountability and inclusion. Extending voting rights to Nepalis living abroad would fulfill a long-standing constitutional promise and signal renewed faith in participatory governance at a decisive moment in the country’s democratic evolution.
Drawing on lessons from more than 115 countries that have considered external voting, this brief proposes a hybrid and phased External Voting model for Nepal’s 2026 national elections. This hybrid approach combines embassy voting, Internet based Voting (i-Voting), postal voting, and multi-day in-person voting in Nepal to balance inclusivity, feasibility, and security in the imminent 2026 election. Crucially, by adopting internationally proven ready-made remote voter registration and i-Voting technology services, Nepal can complete remote voter registration and i-Voting implementation within a 12-to-13- week window, making it feasible for the March 2026 deadline, provided swift project bidding and appropriate legislative actions are taken immediately.
Since Nepali citizens reside across more than 100 countries worldwide, the brief recommends gradually transitioning to i-Voting as the primary method to ensure scalable, legal, administrative, economic, and inclusive participation in the electoral process. This brief further recommends extending the i-Voting method for domestic use, particularly for internally migrated populations and vulnerable communities—in the short term and progressively expanding it for internal voting as well as a forward-looking approach to ensure broader participation in the election process.
Looking ahead to the 2031 elections and beyond, these reforms could benefit both Nepali citizens at home and abroad, positioning Nepal as a regional leader in secure, technology-enabled democratic participation through the adoption of i-Voting as its principal voting method.
