Vietnam steps up preparation for upcoming election

6:39 PM, Thu February 26, 2026

Politburo member, National Assembly Chairman and Chairman of the National Election Council Tran Thanh Man on the morning of February 26 chaired a nationwide online conference to deploy election work for deputies to the 16th National Assembly and deputies to People's Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term at the National Assembly House.

The conference was connected online to 34 provincial-level bridge points and 3,321 commune-level bridge points.

Vietnam steps up preparation for upcoming election- Ảnh 1. National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man chairs the nationwide online conference on election work deployment. Photo: Pham Thang/DBND

Co-chairing the conference were Politburo member, Party Central Committee Secretary, Chairwoman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and Vice Chairwoman of the National Election Council Bui Thi Minh Hoai; Party Central Committee Secretary, Vice President of Vietnam and Vice Chairwoman of the National Election Council Vo Thi Anh Xuan; Permanent Deputy Prime Minister and Vice Chairman of the National Election Council Nguyen Hoa Binh; and Party Central Committee member, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly and member of the National Election Council Nguyen Thi Thanh.

At the National Assembly office bridge point, participants included members of the National Election Council, leaders of central commissions, ministries and sectors, representatives of the Government, the Standing Board of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and leaders of the National Election Council's subcommittees.

In localities, participants included provincial and municipal Party secretaries, chairpersons of provincial and municipal People's Committees, members of election steering committees and election commissions, standing members of People's Councils and People's Committees, Vietnam Fatherland Front committees and local organization commissions and departments of home affairs.

At the Hanoi bridge point, participants included Tran The Cuong, Member of the Standing Committee of the Hanoi Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Council and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Hanoi Election Commission, and Pham Thi Thanh Mai, Vice Chairwoman of the Hanoi People's Council and Deputy Head of the Hanoi National Assembly Deputies Delegation.

At the commune level, the conference drew participation from commune-level election steering committees and election commissions, leaders of Party committees, People's Councils, People's Committees and Vietnam Fatherland Front committees, along with Party cell secretaries, village heads, residential group heads and representatives of mass organizations.

In Hanoi, the conference was connected online to 145 bridge points, with more than 13,200 delegates participating across the city.

Vietnam steps up preparation for upcoming election- Ảnh 2. Delegates at the Hanoi connection site.

In her opening remarks, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh stressed that the conference holds special significance in comprehensively reviewing preparations for the upcoming elections, candidly identifying difficulties and obstacles, and proposing solutions to ensure the successful election of National Assembly deputies and People’s Council deputies at all levels.

This election introduces several new features being implemented for the first time, including the organization of local government under a two-tier model, a shortened timeline for key steps in the electoral process, and the expanded application of information technology and digital transformation in election administration.

Since June 25, 2025, when the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 211 establishing the National Election Council, 246 days have elapsed, during which an extensive volume of work has been carried out.

The National Election Council commended and highly valued the strong sense of responsibility and proactive efforts of central agencies, local authorities, and election bodies at all levels — from election steering committees and election commissions to election boards and grassroots polling teams. Vietnam steps up preparation for upcoming election- Ảnh 3. Delegates at Tay Ho Ward point

However, Thanh noted that only 17 days remain until election day, a short but decisive period. The remaining workload is critical and demands heightened focus, as well as careful, thorough and synchronized implementation to ensure the overall success of the election — a major political event involving more than one million officials from the central to the grassroots levels.

According to Thanh, the Politburo has paid special attention to this election and issued an important conclusion with four key focus areas: personnel work; ensuring election of the full number of National Assembly deputies, including full-time deputies at the central level; ensuring election of the full number of People's Council deputies; and information, communication, and reporting regimes.

She also emphasized General Secretary To Lam's direction at the nationwide conference on election work deployment on November 15, 2025, which affirmed that the election is an occasion to demonstrate the Party's leadership capacity, the State's management effectiveness and the operating efficiency of the political system in the context of having just completed organizational streamlining and restructuring.

Accordingly, the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term has been identified as a key political task for 2026. Preparations must be conducted thoroughly to ensure the election is organized successfully in a democratic, law-abiding, safe and cost-effective manner, and truly becomes a major nationwide festival for the people.

Noting that the workload ahead remains substantial and that the conference was organized in a spirit of innovation, brevity and effectiveness, Thanh asked delegates to focus on studying the materials, discussing and contributing practical opinions to support the success of the conference and upcoming election organization work.

The conference then heard a report from the Office of the National Election Council on preparations for the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Council deputies at all levels for the 2026–2031 term, along with reports from several member agencies of the National Election Council, including the Government, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

It also received reports from provincial and municipal election commissions on their preparations for the 2026–2031 term.