By The Canadian Press

Voting peaceful in first Nepal election since September youth-led protests

Mar 4, 2026 | 7:28 PM

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Voting was peaceful Thursday in Nepal’s first nationwide election since a violent, youth-led uprising forced the government from power in September.

Security forces patrolled streets and guarded polling stations across the Himalayan nation of about 30 million people as voters lined up to cast their ballots. Vote counting is set to begin later Thursday, with results expected over the weekend.

Campaigning and voting through Thursday had not been disrupted by any incidents of violence, officials said.

“There is huge excitement about this election among the people, and we anticipate the voter turnout to be at least 65%,” Nepal’s acting chief election commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said.

Authorities banned vehicles from the streets and prohibited political rallies and public gatherings. All forms of campaigning are barred on election day.

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People crowded polling stations from the mountains in the north to the southern plains districts. At the main square in capital city Kathmandu, men and women stood in separate lines under the warm spring sun while police officers and soldiers maintained a tight security presence around the area.

“I came to vote mainly because of the protest and so many people gave their lives in the hope of a change, in hope of seeing better Nepal,” said Luniva, a first-time voter. “Hopefully, I want to see my country become better by all the sacrifices that have been made.”

Others shared similar hopes that the election could usher in positive change for the Himalayan nation after months of political unrest.

“I felt someone I am able to fulfill and responsibility as a person and a citizen because each of our votes matters,” said Sanjiya Shrestha, who walked to the polling station despite begin visually impaired.

Young voters joined older generations at polling stations across the country, with many lining up even before voting began at 7 a.m.

There are about 19 million registered voters among the country’s nearly 30 million people, according to the Election Commission of Nepal.

Millions of Nepalis living overseas are unable to take part in the vote. An estimated 3 million citizens work abroad — largely in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and neighboring India — and cannot cast ballots because the country does not yet have a system allowing voting from abroad.

Voters are directly electing 165 members to the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Parliament. The remaining 110 seats in the 275-member body will be allocated through a proportional representation system, under which political parties nominate lawmakers based on their share of the vote.

The election is widely seen as a three-way contest, shaped by voter frustration over widespread corruption and demands for greater government accountability.

The National Independent Party, founded in 2022, is considered the front-runner, posing a strong challenge to two long-dominant parties: the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist).

The new party’s prime ministerial candidate is rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, who won the 2022 Kathmandu mayoral race and emerged as a leading figure in the 2025 uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli.

Shah, 35, has rode a wave of public anger toward traditional political parties. He highlighted health and education for poor Nepalis as a key focus during his campaign.

The protests against corruption and poor governance were triggered by a social media ban before snowballing into a popular revolt against the government. Dozens were killed and hundreds injured when protesters attacked government buildings and police opened fire on them.

While the Congress and the Communists retain loyal voter bases, Shah’s party has drawn larger crowds on the campaign trail, highlighting its growing appeal among younger voters seeking an alternative.

Shah was among the first one to reach polling station at a local school in Kathmandu. He lives in the capital but is contesting from a district in southeast Nepal against Oli. He did not speak to reporters.

The next administration is expected to inherit daunting challenges. It must deliver on changes demanded by last year’s protests, tackle entrenched corruption and carefully manage ties with its powerful neighbors, India and China.

Binaj Gurubacharya, The Associated Press