To ensure free, fair, transparent and credible elections, it is vital that all voters and stakeholders are well informed about the importance of elections in strengthening democracy. Therefore, Election Commission, Nepal has initiated The Electoral Education and Information Center (EEIC), in 2011, aiming to enhance awareness and participation of voters in the electoral system, processes and procedures by making electoral education more interesting and accessible to voters.
Envisioned as a milestone in interactive and comprehensive voter education, electoral research and capacity-building, key components of the EEIC include interactive voter education, opportunities to partake in mock elections, display of the electoral museum and information, electoral library, media centre and facilities for training and capacity building of the Commission‘s staff and stakeholders.
The EEIC is located within the premises of the Election Commission at Kantipath, Kathmandu. Through the EEIC, the Commission aims to provide civic and democratic electoral education and information to visiting individuals and groups, and encourage people of all remote areas and under-privileged class, race, gender and regions through a number of outreach programs.
The Election Commission of Nepal hired more than 14,000 voter education volunteers to work on the program, conducting public outreach in local communities. The program was delivered in all 75 districts. Various formats for voter education were employed, including the distribution of leaflets and posters, door-to-door campaigns, street dramas, and the production of broadcast of television and radio programs across the national and local media. The Election Commission of Nepal also produced materials in 24 languages for transmission on local FM radio stations, even though the shortage of printed materials produced in local languages occurred.
Before 2013 Elections, local and international CSOs and NGOs arranged many civic and voter education activities throughout the country by producing radio programs, public debates, distributing publications, conducting mock polling, public discussion, street theatres and performances aiming to educate Nepali voters about the Constituent Assembly elections. Democracy and Election Watch-Nepal (DEW-Nepal), teaches onlookers in the Jhapa district of Nepal how to register to vote. With the support of NDI-Nepal, DEW-Nepal organized 30 street dramas as part of their voter registration information campaign in Jhapa, Nepal.
Some of the local CSOs which were involved in civic and voter education are Community Action Center- Nepal, Human Rights Education Programme, INSEC Core Programmes on Civic Education, USAID, IFES, and Nepali Theater Groups and Actors for CA Election Education, for example.
Source
http://www.election.gov.np/eeic/overview-eeic.html
Electoral Education in Nepal, Appraisal of Information, Education and Communication Approach, Nepal (NEOC: 2013)
Voter education campaigns and mock polling sessions in Nepal to prepare for upcoming elections
http://electionaccess.org/en/resources/voter-education/gallery/7/
European Union Election Observation Mission, EU Final Report, Constituent Assembly Elections, 2013
http://www.eueom.eu/files/pressreleases/english/final-report-eueom-nepal_en.pdf
Resources :
LINK : Pictures for voter education campaign and mock polling sessions in Nepal (Election Access: 2013)
LINK : Electoral Education and Information Centre (EEIC) by Election Commission of Nepal
VDO : Traditional Music Educates About Nepal’s Voting Registration Process (DEW-Nepal)
VDO : Traditional Street Theater Educates About Nepal’s Voting Registration Process (DEW-Nepal)
VDO : Electoral Education in Nepal (NEOC: 2013)