KATHMANDU: The Election Commission, which has launched preliminary preparations for the upcoming local elections, announced that 181,367 new voters have been added to the voter rolls over the past three months.

These voters were registered following the last House of Representatives election.

According to the Commission’s spokesperson, Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, 18,622 applications have been received for voter list updates since that election.

During the last House of Representatives election, the total number of eligible voters stood at 18,903,689.

Spokesperson Bhattarai stated that the Commission is currently updating voter rolls and reviewing polling stations and voting centers as part of its preparations for the upcoming local elections.

Regarding local election readiness, the Commission’s officials held discussions with the National Assembly’s Committee on Federalism Strengthening and National Concerns on June 18.

During the meeting, several key recommendations were presented. These included announcing the election date at least six months in advance, ensuring the timely release of the required budget, filling vacant positions within the Commission and its subordinate bodies, upgrading the voter registration management system, printing ballot papers using modern equipment, and developing effective mechanisms to prevent the spread of misinformation.