At Stake in this Election:  

• All 275 seats in the House of Representatives (Pratinidhi Sabha) 

Government Structure: 

• Chief of State: President Ramchandra PAUDEL (since 13 March 2023) 

• Head of Government: Prime Minister Sushila KARKI (since 12 September 2025) 

• Assembly: bicameral Federal Parliament (Sanghiya Sansad), comprised of the 275-seat House of Representatives (Pratinidhi Sabha) and a 59-seat National Assembly (Rastriya Sabha) 

Electoral System: 

• The President is indirectly elected via an electoral college system that is comprised of the Federal Parliament and members of the Provincial Assembly for a 5-year term, renewable once.  

• The Prime Minister is appointed by the President and is usually the leader of the majority party. Prime Ministers must receive a vote of confidence from the House of Representatives within 30 days of their appointment. 

• Members of the House of Representatives are directly elected via a mixed system to serve a 5-year term. 165 members are elected in a first-past-the-post system from geographic constituencies. 110 members are elected via a proportional representation system. There are no term limits. 

• 56 members of the National Assembly are indirectly elected via an electoral college comprised of members of Provincial Assemblies, Village Councils, and Municipal Councils. Three members are nominated by the President on the recommendation of the Government of Nepal. At least one of these three nominees must be a woman. All members serve 6 year terms.  

Last Election: 

The last election was held on May 13, 2022. Nepali Congress won 89 seats, the Nepal Communist Party won 78 seats, the Communist Party of Nepal won 32 seats, Rastriya Swatantra Party won 20 seats, National Democratic Party won 14 seats, the People’s Socialist Party won 12 seats, and the Communist Party of Nepal won 10 seats. All other parties won less than 10 seats. Voter turnout was 62%.  

Information for Voters: 

मतदाता शिक्षा स्रोत सामग्रीहरु / Voter Education Source Materials (in Nepali)  

New/Unique in this Election: 

In September of 2025, a large-scale protest movement, commonly called the “Gen Z Protests” erupted in Nepal in response to ongoing corruption, nepotism, and broader governance concerns. As a result, the President dissolved the incumbent government, ultimately appointing Sushila Karki as the interim Prime Minister. This is a snap election to decide the make-up of the lower house. 

Key Deadlines: 

• Candidate filing deadline: November 26, 2025 

• Voter registration deadline: November 21, 2025 (note: this includes a 5-day extension ordered by the Election Commission for the March elections) 

Main Parties in this Election:  

• Aama Janata Party / आमा जनता पार्टी 

• Aamal Parivartan Loktantrik Party / आमूल परिवर्तन लोकतान्त्रिक पार्टी 

• Aawaj Party / आवाज पार्टी 

• Bahujan Shakti Party / बहुजन शक्ति पार्टी 

• Bibeksheel Janata Party / विवेकशील जनता पार्टी 

• Bibeksheel Sajha Party / विवेकशील साझा पार्टी 

• Bipul Dal Party / विपुल दल पार्टी 

• Chhabilah Janata Party / छबिलाह जनता पार्टी 

• Desh Bhakta Party / देश भक्त पार्टी 

• Deshbhakta Loktantrik Party Nepal / देशभक्त लोकतान्त्रिक पार्टी नेपाल 

• Gandhigadi Party Nepal / गान्धीगढी पार्टी नेपाल 

• Hamro Party Nepal / हाम्रो पार्टी नेपाल 

• Jan Adhikar Party / जन अधिकार पार्टी 

• Jan Madhyam Party / जन माध्यम पार्टी 

• Janata Loktantrik Party Nepal / जनता लोकतान्त्रिक पार्टी नेपाल 

• Janata Pragatisheel Party / जनता प्रगतिशील पार्टी 

• Janata Pragatisheel Party, Nepal / जनता प्रगतिशील पार्टी, नेपाल 

• Janata Samajwadi Party / जनता समाजवादी पार्टी 

• Janata Samajbadi Party, Nepal / जनता समाजवादी पार्टी, नेपाल 

• Janmat Party / जनमत पार्टी 

• Janahit Loktantrik Party / जनहित लोकतान्त्रिक पार्टी 

• Khumbuwan Rastriya Morcha, Nepal / खुम्बुवान राष्ट्रिय मोर्चा, नेपाल 

• Kranti Party Nepal / क्रान्ति पार्टी नेपाल 

• Lok Dal / लोक दल 

• Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, Nepal / लोकतान्त्रिक समाजवादी पार्टी, नेपाल 

• Mongol National Organization / मंगोल नेशनल अर्गनाइजेशन 

• Nagarik Nyaya Dal Nepal / नागरिक न्याय दल नेपाल 

• Nagarik Sewa Party / नागरिक सेवा पार्टी 

• Nagarik Shakti, Nepal / नागरिक शक्ति, नेपाल 

• Nepal Communist Party / नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी 

• Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) / नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी (माओवादी) 

• Nepal Communist Party (Sanyukt) / नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी (संयुक्त) 

• Nepal Communist Party (Socialist) / नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी (समाजवादी) 

• Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist–Leninist) / नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी (एकीकृत मार्क्सवादी लेनिनवादी) 

• Nepal Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist–Samajwadi) / नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी (मार्क्सवादी–लेनिनवादी–समाजवादी) 

• Nepal Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist–Socialist) / नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी (मार्क्सवादी–लेनिनवादी–समाजवादी) 

• Nepal Janasakti Party / नेपाल जनशक्ति पार्टी 

• Nepal Janata Party / नेपाल जनता पार्टी 

• Nepal Loktantrik Party / नेपाल लोकतान्त्रिक पार्टी 

• Nepal Madhesi Party / नेपाल मधेसी पार्टी 

• Nepal Nagarik Party / नेपाल नागरिक पार्टी 

• Nepal Pariwar Dal / नेपाल परिवार दल 

• Nepal Republican Nepal / नेपाल रिपब्लिकन नेपाल 

• Nepal Sadbhavana Party / नेपाल सद्भावना पार्टी 

• Nepal Samajwadi Party / नेपाल समाजवादी पार्टी 

• Nepal Samyukta Party / नेपाल संयुक्त पार्टी 

• Nepalwadi Laghu Nepali Party / नेपालवादी लघु नेपाली पार्टी 

• Nepali Congress / नेपाली कांग्रेस 

• Nepali Congress (B.P.) / नेपाली कांग्रेस (बी.पी.) 

• Nepali Janasambad Sanskritik Party / नेपाली जनसम्वाद सांस्कृतिक पार्टी 

• Nepali Janata Dal / नेपाली जनता दल 

• Nepal Workers Peasants Party / नेपाली मजदुर किसान पार्टी 

• Nispaksha Nepal / निष्पक्ष नेपाल 

• Parivartan Party / परिवर्तन पार्टी 

• Prajatantrik Party Nepal / प्रजातान्त्रिक पार्टी नेपाल 

• Prajatantrik Samajwadi Party / प्रजातान्त्रिक समाजवादी पार्टी 

• Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party / प्रगतिशील लोकतान्त्रिक पार्टी 

• Pragatisheel Nagarik Party / प्रगतिशील नागरिक पार्टी 

• Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party / प्रगतिशील समाजवादी पार्टी 

• Rastriya Bikash Party / राष्ट्रिय विकास पार्टी 

• Rastriya Communist Party / राष्ट्रिय कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी 

• Rastriya Ekta Dal / राष्ट्रिय एकता दल 

• Rastriya Ekta Party / राष्ट्रिय एकता पार्टी 

• Rastriya Gau Party / राष्ट्रिय गाउँ पार्टी 

• Rastriya Janamorcha / राष्ट्रिय जनमोर्चा 

• Rastriya Janamorcha Party / राष्ट्रिय जनमोर्चा पार्टी 

• Rastriya Kalyan Nepal / राष्ट्रिय कल्याण नेपाल 

• Rastriya Nagarik Party / राष्ट्रिय नागरिक पार्टी 

• Rastriya Parivartan Party / राष्ट्रिय परिवर्तन पार्टी 

• Rastriya Prajatantra Party / राष्ट्रिय प्रजातन्त्र पार्टी 

• Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal / राष्ट्रिय प्रजातन्त्र पार्टी नेपाल 

• Rastriya Sadbhavana Party / राष्ट्रिय सद्भावना पार्टी 

• Rastriya Samata Party, Nepal / राष्ट्रिय समता पार्टी, नेपाल 

• Rastriya Samriddhi Party / राष्ट्रिय समृद्धि पार्टी 

• Rastriya Shakti Abhiyan Nepal / राष्ट्रिय शक्ति अभियान नेपाल 

• Rastriya Satta Party / राष्ट्रिय सत्ता पार्टी 

• Rastriya Unnatisheel Party, Nepal / राष्ट्रिय उन्नतिशील पार्टी, नेपाल 

• Rastriya Yuva Morcha / राष्ट्रिय युवा मोर्चा 

• Rashtra Nirman Nepal / राष्ट्र निर्माण नेपाल 

• Samajik Loktantrik Party / सामाजिक लोकतान्त्रिक पार्टी 

• Samajwadi Party / समाजवादी पार्टी 

• Samajwadi Party Nepal / समाजवादी पार्टी नेपाल 

• Samajwadi Samajwadi Party / समाजवादी समाजवादी पार्टी 

• Samunnat Nepal Party / समुन्नत नेपाल पार्टी 

• Sanghiya Bikashbadi Party Nepal / संघीय विकासवादी पार्टी नेपाल 

• Sanghiya Loktantrik Party Nepal / संघीय लोकतान्त्रिक पार्टी नेपाल 

• Sanghiya Nepal Party / संघीय नेपाल पार्टी 

• Samyukta Loktantrik Rastriya Manch / संयुक्त लोकतान्त्रिक राष्ट्रिय मञ्च 

• Samyukta Nagarik Party / संयुक्त नागरिक पार्टी 

• Sarbajanik Nagarik Party / सार्वजनिक नागरिक पार्टी 

• Tarai–Madhes Loktantrik Party / तराई–मधेश लोकतान्त्रिक पार्टी 

• Ujjwal Bhavishya Party / उज्ज्वल भविष्य पार्टी 

• Ujjwal Loktantrik Party / उज्ज्वल लोकतान्त्रिक पार्टी 

• Ujjyalo Nepal Party / उज्यालो नेपाल पार्टी 

• Yuva Utthan Nepal Loktantrik Party / युवा उत्थान नेपाल लोकतान्त्रिक पार्टी 

Note: Leaders and seats won in the last election are omitted from this list for concision, given the large number of parties contesting the election. 

Country Context: 

• Population: 29,651,054 (2024 estimate) 

• Registered Voters: 17,988,570 (2022 estimate) 

• V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index Score: 0.669 (2024) 

• V-Dem Regimes of the World Classification:Electoral Democracy (2024) 

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 0.622, Medium, Rank 145 

Gender Data: 

• Female Population: 15,450,778 (2024 estimate) 

• CEDAW Status: Signed 5 February 1991, Ratified 22 April 1991 

• Gender Quota: Yes, legislated quotas that require a minimum of one-third of members elected from each political party to be women. 

• Female Candidates in this election: Yes 

• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 22 out of 59 (37.3%) in the upper house.= 

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: 30.6 (2023 estimate) 

Disability Data: 

• CRPD Status: Signed 3 January 2008, Ratified 7 May 2010 

• Projected population with a disability: 4,744,169 (2024 estimate) 

IFES Resources: 

• ElectionJudgments: Yes, 3 judgements