The Election Committee for deputies to the 16th National Assembly and members of the HCMC People’s Council for the 2026–2031 term held its eighth meeting on March 11. The session was chaired by Mr. Vo Van Minh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee, Chairman of the HCMC People’s Council, and Chairman of the city’s Election Committee.
Also attending were Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Loc, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee, and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of HCMC, who serves as Vice Chairman of the city’s Election Committee, along with other committee members, deputy chairpersons, and representatives from Party agencies, the Fatherland Front, and relevant municipal departments.
Opening the meeting, Mr. Vo Van Minh asked city departments and agencies to provide detailed updates on the progress of election preparations. He urged local authorities to complete the distribution of voter cards and instructed security forces to review plans to guarantee absolute safety at polling stations thoroughly.
Localities were also asked to intensify public outreach to encourage voter participation and ensure the highest possible turnout. The Department of Home Affairs was requested to promptly issue detailed guidance on vote-counting procedures so that all districts and wards could implement them uniformly.
Reporting at the meeting, a representative from the Department of Home Affairs said the HCMC Election Committee had moved quickly after its establishment to develop implementation plans, issue working regulations, and assign responsibilities to its members. It has also regularly monitored and urged subcommittees and related agencies to fulfill their assigned tasks, ensuring that preparations proceed according to schedule.
At the grassroots level, election committees in wards and communes have largely met requirements and deadlines set by election authorities. Local units have also promptly reported difficulties or emerging issues during implementation. Overall, election preparations across the city are progressing smoothly and coordinately.
From now until election day, HCMC will continue organizing inspection and supervisory delegations in line with Plan No.83 issued by the city’s Election Committee. Meanwhile, the HCMC chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front is accelerating voter meetings with candidates running for seats in the 16th National Assembly and the HCMC People’s Council for the 2026–2031 term, which are scheduled to conclude by March 13.
The Department of Home Affairs is also preparing to release a handbook providing detailed guidance on election-day procedures, vote counting processes, and the preparation of official reports after the ballot.
Relevant departments have additionally drafted contingency plans to address potential natural disasters or disease outbreaks that could arise on election day.
According to the HCMC Police Department, the city currently has nearly 9.7 million registered voters. About 8.7 percent of voter cards have been delivered to ward- and commune-level election committees but have not yet been fully distributed to voters.
City police have recommended that the Chairman of the HCMC Election Committee instruct local election authorities to mobilize maximum personnel and work closely with commune-level police units to complete the distribution of voter cards. At the same time, the ongoing review of voter lists will continue to capture newly registered voters and ensure no eligible voter is omitted.
To safeguard the election, the HCMC Police Department has established four rapid-response teams to address potential security or information safety incidents, as well as a cybersecurity operations center dedicated to protecting election-related systems. Security forces have also developed detailed plans and deployed personnel to maintain public order at polling stations across the city on March 15.
Addressing the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Loc stressed that inspection and supervision efforts must be conducted daily from now until election day. Authorities must review every task and operational area to ensure that no procedure or responsibility, however minor, is overlooked.
He also urged agencies to prepare contingency scenarios for unexpected situations and implement specific measures to guarantee political security and social order. Particular attention should be paid to fire prevention in older apartment blocks and densely populated residential areas, he said. The health sector was also asked to strengthen monitoring to prevent any incidents of food poisoning during the election period.
Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Loc further proposed that relevant agencies develop policies to recognize and reward grassroots officials who are working intensively to support the organization of the election.
