Himal Press 
Women waiting for their turn to cast their votes at Ganesh Basic School polling station in Sunsari. Photo: RSS
KATHMANDU: Around 24% voters had cast their ballots across the country by 1 pm in the elections for the House of Representatives on Thursday, according to data released by the Election Commission (EC).
Out of a total of 18,903,689 registered voters, approximately 4.54 million had exercised their franchise by early afternoon.
Kathmandu Valley, the federal capital, recorded 36% turnout by 1 pm. Of the three districts in the Valley, Kathmandu recorded the highest turnout at 44% percent, with 288,659 votes cast out of 670,708 registered voters. In Bhaktapur, about 24% of voters have cast their ballots, while Lalitpur recorded a turnout of 31%.
However, turnout figures were moderate across Madhesh. Koshi Province recorded 23% turnout, while Madhesh reported 20% percent—one of the lowest by early afternoon. Bagmati fared even worse at 19%.
Similarly, Gandaki Province recorded 21% turnout, while Lumbini saw about 26% of voters cast their ballots. Karnali recorded relatively higher participation at 31%, while Sudurpashchim Province reported 25 percent turnout.
EC officials say voting is progressing in a generally peaceful manner across the country. They say no major incidents have been reported by early afternoon.
Polling began at 7 am and will continue until 5 pm to elect 275 members to the House of Representatives.
