Will Nepalis abroad get to vote? The Election Commission has started a study
Millions of Nepalis living abroad could not vote in the March 2026 election. The Election Commission began studying how to change that in August.
Nepalis abroad send home billions every year, follow every twist of news from home, and care deeply about how the country is run. Yet on election day, most of them can only watch.
Where things stand
- Nepal’s Supreme Court ordered arrangements for overseas voting back in 2018.
- No legal system has been put in place since then, so Nepalis living abroad could not vote in the general election held on 5 March 2026.
- In November 2025, the Election Commission recommended changes to four laws to make overseas voting possible.
- In August 2026, the Commission began a formal study on how to do it. No timeline has been announced.
The big questions
Any system will have to answer some practical questions. Should people vote at embassies, by post or online? How do you verify identity for workers who move between countries? How do you keep the vote secret and secure? Other countries with large diasporas have tried different models, and Nepal’s study is expected to look at these options.
Why it matters
Remittance is now one of the largest parts of Nepal’s economy, and many of the people sending it are young workers whose lives are shaped by government decisions on labour permits, insurance and recruitment rules. Giving them a voice would change how parties talk about migration.
We will follow the study and report what it recommends, in plain language.
Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.
