Nationwide voting begins to elect new members for parliament, people’s councils

Starting 7 a.m. on Sunday, nearly 79 million voters across Vietnam will elect delegates to the 16th National Assembly and people’s councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term.

Voters are heading to more than 72,000 polling stations nationwide to exercise their electoral rights and responsibilities. Several polling stations had conducted earlier voting in accordance with the law due to local conditions.

The National Assembly is Vietnam's highest legislative body. People's councils are local state power bodies, representing the will, aspirations, and right to self-governance of the people, and is accountable to the local people and higher-level state agencies.

This is an important political event for the country, taking place shortly after the 14th National Party Congress. It represents a concrete step in implementing the congress’s Resolution in connection with the Party’s personnel work, involving the responsibilities of authorities at all levels and sectors.

It also provides an opportunity for voters to exercise their right to mastery by selecting outstanding and deserving representatives who will convey their will, aspirations, and mastery in the National Assembly and people’s councils at all levels for the new term.

The election is held at a time when the country’s reform process, after 40 years, has achieved significant accomplishments of historic importance across all areas of social life.

It also takes place as Vietnam has actively implemented the reorganization and streamlining of the political system’s apparatus, adjusted administrative boundaries, and operated a two-tier local administration model (only city/provincial level and ward/commune level, while district level removed) to ensure a leaner, stronger, more efficient, and more effective governance system, paving the way for a new era of national development.

According to the National Election Council, from 864 candidates, voters will elect 500 deputies to the 16th National Assembly (1.73 candidates per seat).

For provincial-level people’s councils, voters will elect 2,552 people from 4,217 candidates (1.65 candidates per seat). For commune-level people’s councils, voters will elect 72,611 people from 120,873 candidates (1.66 candidates per seat), in accordance with the law.

Under the regulations, the election will conclude at 7 p.m. on the same day, except in cases where voting is extended as permitted by law, but no later than 9 p.m.