"Nepalis living abroad will be able to vote directly in the March 5, 2026 House of Representatives election."

Over the past few years, the Election Commission and constitutional experts have indeed discussed legal reforms to grant voting rights to Nepalis living abroad, at least under the proportional representation system.

Draft bills and policy papers propose including eligible citizens abroad on voter rolls and enabling them to cast absentee or overseas ballots. However, these proposals have not yet resulted in fully implemented laws and operational mechanisms for federal elections.

For the March 5, 2026 House of Representatives election, there is no official notification, procedural guideline or logistical arrangement in place that would allow ordinary Nepali citizens residing overseas to vote from abroad.

As things stand, only those who return to their registered constituency in Nepal and are on the electoral roll can cast their votes. Therefore, saying that ‘overseas Nepalis can vote’ without this important caveat is misleading.