More Than 5% of Direct Votes Invalid in House Elections; Fewer Rejected in Proportional Ballots

Kathmandu — Despite spending millions of rupees on voter education programs, Nepal’s Election Commission says the percentage of invalid ballots in the House of Representatives election held on March 5 has remained notably high.

Election Commission information officer Suman Ghimire said the commission has taken the issue seriously, particularly after more than 5 percent of ballots were invalidated in the direct, first-past-the-post voting system.

The voter education campaign this time was intended to encourage greater participation and reduce invalid votes. However, preliminary data suggests the number of spoiled ballots has not fallen as much as the commission expected.

Fewer invalid votes in proportional system

According to Ghimire, around 3 percent of votes were invalid under the proportional representation system, while the rate exceeded 5 percent in the direct election system.

He said the core goal of the commission’s voter education program was to increase participation and reduce the percentage of invalid ballots. Although the campaign was expanded and designed to be more effective this time, early results show that invalid votes were relatively higher in the first-past-the-post system and lower in the proportional system.

Why were ballots invalid?

The commission’s preliminary study suggests many ballots in the direct election were invalidated because voters stamped more than one election symbol on the same ballot paper.

In the direct system, voters are allowed to choose only one candidate. If a ballot contains marks for two or more symbols, it is automatically invalid.

However, the commission says it is still conducting a detailed study to determine the exact nature and causes of the invalid ballots. District election offices have already been asked to investigate the issue and submit reports, after which further details will be made public.

Parties and candidates to play bigger role

Following the high rate of invalid votes, the Election Commission is considering changes to its voter education approach.

Concluding that traditional voter education methods alone have not been sufficient, the commission plans to involve political parties and candidates more directly in educating voters, since they interact closely with the electorate.

Once the detailed study report is completed, the commission also plans to publicly disclose the major reasons behind invalid votes.

Recent reports have similarly indicated thousands of ballots being invalidated in several districts, reflecting a broader concern over voter confusion during the election process.