Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Thursday called on Nepalis to exercise their right to vote, emphasising that every ballot is crucial for the country’s future.

In a social media post, she appealed to one and all to visit polling centres and thanked citizens for showing restraint and understanding during the elections.

Voting is underway across all 77 districts from 7am to 5pm in a single phase, following the September Gen Z movement that led to the fall of the KP Sharma Oli-led coalition government and the dissolution of the lower house.

The Election Commission said arrangements are in place to ensure free, fair and peaceful voting. Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari urged voters to cast their ballots without fear.

A total of 18,903,689 voters are eligible to elect 275 members of the House of Representatives, including 52 percent aged between 18 and 40. There are 6,541 candidates in the fray, with 3,406 contesting 165 first-past-the-post seats and 3,135 listed for 110 proportional representation seats. The commission has set up 23,112 polling centres at 10,963 stations nationwide, with 341,113 security personnel deployed, including 149,000 temporary election police.