For 16-year-old Nepali individuals, turning sixteen meant getting a national ID card. But until now, it didn’t mean much when it came to voting. That changed this week. Nepal’s President, Ram Chandra Paudel, has issued an ordinance to amend the Voter Roll Act, 2016. This allows young citizens who recently reached voting age to be added to the electoral list.

The move comes after the interim government, led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki, announced elections for March 5 next year. Earlier rules had blocked voter registration once an election date was declared. Section 4(2)(2) of the Voter List Act prevented citizens who turned eligible after the announcement from registering, leaving many young people sidelined from participating in elections.

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The President’s Secretariat c

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