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| Residents in Nha Trang read election information displayed on public notice boards in their residential area_Photo: VNA |
Under Article 7 of the 2013 Constitution and Article 1 of the 2015 Law on Election of Deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Councils, the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026-31 tenure is expected to be conducted in adherence to the principles of universal suffrage, electoral equality, direct election and secret ballot. Fully understanding and strictly observing these principles not only safeguard the people’s right to mastery but also serve as a vital benchmark for assessing whether an election is conducted in a democratic and lawful manner.
Four principles for ensuring democratic and lawful elections
Universal suffrage - guaranteeing the right to vote and stand for election
The principle of universal suffrage is a fundamental tenet of the electoral system. Under this principle, every citizen, regardless of ethnicity, gender, social status, belief, religion, educational level and profession, has the right to participate in elections as prescribed by law.
Citizens aged 18 years or older have the right to vote, and those aged 21 years or older have the right to stand for election of deputies to the National Assembly or People’s Councils. Exceptions are persons deprived of the right to vote by legally effective court judgements or rulings, persons sentenced to death awaiting execution, persons serving imprisonment sentences without suspension, and persons who have lost civil act capacity.
This principle ensures publicity and broad democracy, enabling citizens to exercise their right to vote and stand for election.
Electoral equality - ensuring every voter and every vote carries equal value
Equality is a key principle throughout the entire electoral process, from the compilation of voter lists to the determination of election results. This principle aims to ensure objectivity and impartiality, ensuring that all citizens have equal opportunities to participate in elections and stand as candidates, while prohibiting all forms of discrimination or prejudice. The principle of electoral equality is manifested in four aspects:
- Each citizen is registered on only one voter list at their place of residence;
- Each citizen is nominated on only one candidate list for only one National Assembly constituency or one People’s Council constituency within the relevant administrative unit;
- Each voter may cast only one vote for National Assembly deputies and one vote for People’s Council deputies at each level; and,
- All votes carry equal weight, without distinction.
The principle of equality requires a reasonable distribution of the structure, composition, and number of candidates nominated for election as deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels, as well as the number of deputies to be elected in each locality, ensuring representation for all regions, areas, localities, and social strata. It also mandates that ethnic minorities and women have a reasonable proportion of representation in the National Assembly and People’s Councils.
Direct election - voters directly decide with their ballots
Direct election means that voters go to polling stations and personally cast their ballots to select representatives to state power bodies.
Article 69 of the 2015 Law on Election of Deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Councils stipulates that voters may not ask others to vote on their behalf or vote by post. If a voter cannot complete the ballot personally, he may request assistance in filling out the ballot but must personally cast it into the ballot box. The assisting person must ensure the secrecy of the voter’s choice. If a voter, due to a disability, cannot personally place the ballot into the ballot box, he may ask another person to do so.
For voters who are ill, elderly or have disabilities and cannot travel to polling stations, electoral units may bring mobile ballot boxes and ballots to their residences or treatment facilities. Similarly, mobile ballot boxes may be provided for detainees, persons held in compulsory education institutions or drug rehabilitation facilities, or those detained in custody houses where no separate polling area is organised.
Secret ballot - guaranteeing voters’ freedom and confidentiality in voters' choice
The principle of the secret ballot ensures that voters are free to select the candidates they trust without external pressure or influence.
Under this principle, voters fill out their ballots in private voting areas, where no one, even members of electoral units, may observe or interfere with the voting process. The voter’s choice is kept confidential, and each voter must personally place the ballot into the ballot box.
Democratic and lawful elections - fundamental requirements
A democratic and lawful election must satisfy the following six essential conditions, including:
- Adherence to the principles of universal suffrage, equality, direct election and secret ballot;
- Guarantee of the rights to vote, stand for election and conduct electoral campaigns, with clear definition of cases of disqualification;
- Transparent procedures for nomination, consultation, re-election, additional election and by-election to ensure the selection of qualified and worthy deputies;
- Guarantee of the right of voters at a candidate’s workplace or place of residence to provide comments and express their confidence in that candidate;
- Clear definition of the organisation, duties and powers of agencies, organisations and units involved in the election process; and,
- Timely settlement of complaints and denunciations, together with strict and lawful handling of election-related violations.
As preparations for the 16th National Assembly and the 2026-31 People’s Council elections proceed, thorough understanding and strict observance of these electoral principles remain of paramount importance. This is not only a mandatory legal requirement but also a shared responsibility of candidates, voters and all relevant agencies and organisations.
Proper and rigorous adherence to these principles will help ensure that the elections are conducted democratically and lawfully, thus enabling the selection of trustworthy deputies who genuinely represent the will and aspirations of the people, thereby strengthening public confidence in the political system and in the ongoing process of building and improving the law-ruled state. (VLLF)
