Nepal lowers legal voting age from 18 to 16 after Gen-Z protests

Nepal’s interim prime minister, Sushila Karki, announced on Thursday that the minimum voting age has been lowered from 18 to 16 to boost youth participation in politics following recent Gen-Z protests.

In her first televised address to the nation since assuming office, Karki said the decision was taken to respond to youth demands for greater representation and to encourage involvement in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for 5 March.

"To find a way out of this complex situation, the government has already started preliminary work for the general election by holding the election in a free, fair, and fear-free environment by March 5, after discussing with the Election Commission officials the necessary manpower, budget, election materials, security, and legal arrangements. The existing election law has been amended through an ordinance to provide voting rights to the younger generation who have reached the age of 18 and to extend the voter list," she said.

Karki said the government had recommended dissolving parliament and setting the election date immediately after she took office. She was sworn in by President Ram Chandra Paudel on 12 September, and recommended that the president call polls for 5 March 2026.