Kathmandu: The Election Commission has made a legal provision allowing political parties, candidates and voters to obtain voter list details by paying a fixed fee.

According to the election guidelines prepared by the Commission, political parties registered for the election will be required to pay Rs 10,000 to obtain voter details across the country. The information will be provided in electronic format, such as through a hard drive or pen drive, upon submission of an official letter from the party.

Considering voter privacy, the details provided will not include sensitive information such as date of birth, citizenship number and mobile number.

The Commission has fixed a fee of Rs 5,000 for parties or candidates seeking voter details at the provincial level. Similarly, a fee of Rs 3,000 will be charged for details covering an entire district or a single constituency. Independent candidates will also be provided with electronic voter details—excluding date of birth, citizenship number and mobile number—upon application and payment of the same fees.

In addition, individual voters wishing to obtain a copy of their own details will have to pay Rs 10,000. Such copies will include only the information related to the concerned individual.

For ensuring transparency and security of the voter list, the Commission has stated that any voter, party representative or candidate may inspect or view the voter list at their own expense. However, the list must not be torn, damaged or defaced during the process.

The voter list with photographs will be accessible only to the concerned voter, while the list without photographs may be viewed by any member of the public. The Commission believes this provision will help candidates more easily identify voters in their respective constituencies.