(VOVWORLD) -According to the National Election Council, as of 10 am Sunday (March 15th), nine provinces achieved a voter turnout rate of over 50%, with the highest being Lao Cai province at nearly 70%; many other areas exceeded 40%.
 Party General Secretary To Lam casts his vote at a polling station in Phan Dinh Phung High School, on Phan Dinh Phung Street, Ba Dinh Ward, Hanoi. Photo: VOV |
Nationwide, 40% of voters have cast their ballots (equivalent to over 30 million voters) by 10 am Sunday. According to regulations, the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and representatives to the People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term will end at 7 pm Sunday, except in cases where it is extended as stipulated, but not later than 9 pm.
From 7 am, Party General Secretary To Lam, Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu, and voters in their residential areas exercised their civic rights at polling station No. 2, electoral unit No. 1, Ba Dinh Ward, Hanoi City.
President Luong Cuong cast his vote at polling station No. 26, Hoan Kiem Ward, Hanoi. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh cast his vote at polling station No. 21, Tay Ho Ward, Hanoi. National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man cast his vote at polling station No. 14, Ho Chi Minh City.
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife Le Thi Bich Tran exercise their civic rights and duties by casting their votes at Polling Station No. 7, Tay Ho Ward, Hanoi. Photo: Lai Hoa/VOV |
In Ho Chi Minh City, 9.7 million voters cast their ballots across 13 constituencies for National Assembly representatives and 42 constituencies for municipal People's Council representatives.
At polling station No. 53 in Thanh My Tay ward, 98-year-old Nguyen Van Tau, known as Tu Cang, who is Colonel, Hero of the People's Armed Forces and Outstanding Strategic Intelligence Officer, said, “I cast my first ballot in 1946 and I still hold this ballot today. For the past 80 years, I have seen this as an honor, a source of pride, and a reminder of my compatriots who sacrificed so that today every citizen could cast a ballot to elect the National Assembly. Our generation shed blood to gain independence, so now I tell the younger generation to strive to study hard and achieve higher qualifications. We have completed the era of independence and now you must usher in the era of national rise. Trusting in the National Assembly, you must go to the polls with a sense of responsibility, contributing to the nation's new era, and you absolutely must succeed.”
 Voter Nguyen Van Tau (Tu Cang) casts his ballot. Photo: Minh Hanh/VOV-Ho Chi Minh City |
At polling station No. 2, My Nghiep village, Ninh Phuoc commune, Khanh Hoa province, there are 3,236 voters, more than 98% of them are Cham ethnic people.
“Our My Nghiep village is a traditional Cham brocade weaving village. It’s an honor to have two female Cham ethnic candidates running for National Assembly representative and two female candidates running for the Provincial People's Council,” said Ms. Dang Thi Thanh Ha, a Cham ethnic woman.
Officers, soldiers, and citizens at polling stations on the islands of the Truong Sa Special Zone, Khanh Hoa province, enthusiastically exercised their rights and civic duties on Sunday morning.
Lieutenant Colonel Tran Huy Phung, Political Officer of Truong Sa Island, told VOV, "Being able to cast a ballot and exercise our civic rights at the same time as our compatriots and voters nationwide is a great honor and source of pride for the Truong Sa islanders. This demonstrates the concern of the Party and State for the officers, soldiers, and people in this remote and challenging location. It also spreads the sacred image of the rights and civic duties of the military and civilians working on Truong Sa Island, voting and affirming that Truong Sa is always a sacred part of the Fatherland. Each ballot cast by the islanders is done with a high sense of responsibility, reflecting our faith and expectations in the exemplary deputies who will represent the will and aspirations of the people."
 Soldiers cast their votes at polling station number 14 (Truong Sa Island), Truong Sa Special Zone, Khanh Hoa province. Photo: VOV |
At polling stations nationwide, a large number of voters came to exercise their rights and duties, choosing representatives to voice the opinions of the voters and the people.
“Today I feel very happy because it is the first time I have held a ballot in my hand to exercise my rights and duties as a citizen to choose people who are talented and virtuous enough to serve the people. I hope that those elected will develop their abilities and propose sound policies so that the country will become more developed and stable.”
“My family has four members and we were eager to come early to cast our votes, to elect people who are virtuous and talented. I am very excited. I believe we will be able to choose worthy representatives.”
 Ta Thi Yen, Deputy Head of the Standing Office of the National Election Council, provides information to reporters. Photo: Nguyen Nhung/VOV |
Ta Thi Yen, Deputy Head of the Standing Office of the National Election Council, provided an update at the Press Center, saying,“Today is truly a national festival of national unity. Many polling stations recorded a large number of voters casting their ballots from the very first hours. Particularly noteworthy was the active and exemplary participation of many elderly voters and young voters casting their ballots for the first time. These were striking images at the polling stations. We consider this a vivid and sacred expression, demonstrating continuity in political life, from older generation to the younger generation who will worthily continue the task of consolidating and developing the political system.”
In this election, voters are electing 500 representatives to the 16th National Assembly, 2,552 representatives to the Provincial People's Councils, and 72,611 representatives to the Commune People's Councils.