Viet Nam gears up preparations for 2026 general election

During the national election day, voters nationwide will cast votes to select deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term.

The upcoming general election takes place shortly after the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam. This year's general election also marks the 80th anniversary of the Southeast Asian country's first general election in 1946.

General election is a significant political event that reflects the people's right to directly choose representatives who will convey their aspirations and interests to the country's highest state power body, said the Vice Chairwoman.

According to the National Election Council, authorities have established 34 provincial-level election committees and 3,320 commune-level election committees.

In addition, 182 election boards for National Assembly deputies and 724 election boards for provincial People's Councils have been formed. More than 22,000 election boards for commune-level People's Councils and over 72,000 polling stations have also been set up across the country.

A total of 864 candidates are running for seats in the 16th National Assembly across 182 electoral constituencies, competing for 500 seats, representing an average ratio of 1.73 candidates per seat.

Authorities said the nomination process has sought to balance candidate qualifications with representative diversity. While ensuring standards related to political integrity, ethics, competence and public credibility, attention has also been paid to the representation of different social groups.

Women account for 45.37 percent of candidates, while those under the age of 40 make up 21.64 percent. Ethnic minority candidates represent 21.76 percent, non-Party members account for 7.41 percent, and candidates seeking re-election account for 27.31 percent.

At the press briefing, officials also highlighted measures to safeguard information security and prevent misinformation during the election period.

Nguyen Quoc Hung, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for National Defence, Security and External Affairs, said relevant forces will strengthen monitoring of cyberspace to detect and handle false or misleading information related to the elections.

At the same time, official information will be released in a timely and transparent manner to help guide public opinion and prevent the spread of misinformation.

Authorities stressed that any misuse of social media platforms to disseminate false information that could disrupt or undermine the elections will be handled strictly in accordance with the law.

With coordinated preparations from central to local levels, the National Election Council expressed confidence that the elections for the 16th National Assembly and local People's Councils for the 2026–2031 term will take place democratically, lawfully and safely./.