The polling station in Tran Hung Dao ward, Hanoi's Hoan Kiem district, is one of the special ones as there are COVID-19 quarantine areas in the locality. Voting began at 7am on May 23 across around 80,000 constituencies nationwide in the elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and People’s Council at all levels for the 2021-2026 tenure. The elections create a great festival of the nation, a chance for voters to exercise their citizen right and duty in selecting capable persons representing the people’s will, aspiration and right to mastery in the National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Officials of Tran Hung Dao ward, Hanoi's Hoan Kiem district, cast their ballots on May 23 morning. More than 69 million voters across the country are going to the poll to elect 500 deputies to the 15th NA among the 866 candidates. Meanwhile, 3,726 deputies will be selected among the 6,199 candidates to provincial-level People’s Councils, 22,952 deputies to district-level People’s Councils among the 37,468 candidates, and 242,312 deputies to communal-level People’s Councils among the 405,244 candidates. The elections take place amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, preparations have been made in a thorough manner to ensure safety and health for the voters. (Photo: VNA) 
Le Minh Hung, who is Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chief of its Office, casts his ballot at a polling station in Tran Hung Dao ward, Hoan Kiem district in the capital city of Hanoi. Election constitutes a fundamental, sacred and noble right of the people in the modern world today, reflecting the degree of state democracy, social consensus as well as political, legal and cultural identities of each nation. In Vietnam, election is the mode for the people to select their representatives in the people-elected bodies at both central and local levels, namely the National Assembly and People’s Councils of different levels. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Pham The Duyet, former Politburo member, former President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, casts his ballot. In Vietnam, election is the mode for the people to select their representatives in the people-elected bodies at central and local levels, namely the National Assembly and People’s Councils of different levels. Thereby, the people’s power is converted into the state power and agencies formed by the people via elections become the state-power agencies at the central and local levels. Both the 1992 Constitution (revised in 2001) and the 2013 Constitution set the orientation of building the Vietnamese State into a law-ruled socialist state of the people, by the people and for the people. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Nearly 200 soldiers go to the polling station on the day. Organisers offer hand sanitiser and masks to voters, and ask them to observe COVID-19 prevention and control measures. The elections take place amid complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, preparations have been made in a thorough manner to ensure safety and health for the voters. The current’s election regime in Vietnam is prescribed in the 2013 Constitution and further detailed in the 2015 Law on Election of National Assembly Deputies and People’s Council Deputies. Through the elections of National Assembly and People’s Council deputies, the people’s mastery is demonstrated in accordance with the nature of the socialist state ruled by law. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Officials carry a ballot box to Muong Thanh Hanoi Centre Hotel at 78 Tho Nhuom Street where four Vietnamese people are undergoing the medical quarantine. In order to ensure the success of the elections and minimise impacts from the pandemic, the National Election Council (NEC) has issued a number of documents directing and guiding the election activities in the context of the pandemic, including those instructing the making of voters' lists and voting methods for voters in quarantine areas. The direction and organisation of the elections in parallel with COVID-19 prevention and control has been strengthened to protect voters’ health, with the careful calculation of plans of holding the election, meetings with voters, consultative conferences and making lists of voters. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
The ballot box sent to the quarantine area is disinfected. The elections take place amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier, in localities in normal status or applying social distancing measures, meetings with voters were held both online and offline. Meanwhile, in areas under restriction or lockdown, election campaigns using mass media were encouraged, with candidates' action plans and biographies made public via radio or television broadcasts, on printed or electronic newspapers, news websites of agencies in charge of election work, or sent to residential areas, households and voters. For the first time in the history of elections in Vietnam, meetings with voters were held in the form of videoconference. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
In a document sent to ministries, agencies and localities ahead of the general elections, the Prime Minister asked ministries, agencies and People’s Committees at all levels to raise their sense of responsibility and pay great attention to preparations for the important political event. He urged the Ministry of Health to regularly provide updates on the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government leader said the ministry needs to supplement appropriate plans and solutions to deal with any pandemic incidents during the elections, and establish a working group that will receive and respond to health information from May 18 to the end of the political event. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
The voting at quarantine areas took place quickly in accordance with COVID-19 prevention and control regulations. In all elections in Vietnam, the process of consultation to nominate candidates is conducted in five steps: (i) organising the first consultative conference to reach agreement on the proportion, composition and number of National Assembly candidates and People’s Council candidates; (ii) nominating candidates; (iii) organising the second consultative conference to make preliminary lists of candidates and gather opinions of voters at the places of candidates’ residence; (iv) collecting comments of voters at the places of candidates’ residence; and (v) organising the third consultative conference to draw up the official list of the candidates. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
A mobile ballot box is disinfected before being carried out of a quarantine area. The Prime Minister asked localities to draw up detailed plans and scenarios for the elections amidst the complex development of the pandemic, saying more heed should be given to constituencies and polling stations under medical quarantine due to COVID-19. The leader also ordered plans on natural disaster and fire prevention and control on the election day. The Ministry of Health reported on May 22 that up to 179,006 people who had close contact with patients or entered from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine, including 4,490 in hospitals, 36,815 in concentrated quarantine facilities, and 137,801 at homes. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
On the day, more than 5 million voters in Hanoi cast their ballots to elect deputies to the 15th National Assembly and People’s Council at all levels for the 2021-2026 tenure. A total of 500 deputies among the 866 candidates will be elected to the 15th National Assembly. Meanwhile, 3,726 deputies will be selected among the 6,199 candidates to provincial-level People’s Councils, 22,952 deputies to district-level People’s Councils among the 37,468 candidates, and 242,312 deputies to communal-level People’s Councils among the 405,244 candidates. The elections are a great festival of the nation, a chance for voters to exercise their citizen right and duty in selecting capable persons representing the people’s will, aspiration and right to mastery. (Photo: VNA) VNA
