On January 6, 1946, the first general election to elect the National Assembly took place nationwide, conducted according to the most democratic and progressive principles: universal suffrage, equality, direct voting, and completely secret ballots. The first National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) was born.

The general election on January 6, 1946 marked a shining milestone in the process of building a democratic system, affirming the legal right of the Vietnamese people to be masters of their own country.

Prior to that, on January 5, 1946, President Ho Chi Minh issued a call to the people to vote, which included the following passage: "Tomorrow will be a joyful day for our compatriots, because tomorrow is the day of the general election, because tomorrow is the first day in the history of Vietnam when our people will begin to enjoy their democratic rights... Tomorrow, our people will freely choose and elect worthy representatives to speak on their behalf and shoulder the responsibilities of the nation."

The General Election was successfully conducted nationwide. Despite the sabotage of reactionaries in the North and the brutal invasion of French colonialists in the South, the voter turnout rate in localities still reached 89%; except for a few places that had to hold supplementary elections, the vast majority of localities only held one election.

The general election elected 333 delegates, of whom 57% belonged to different parties; 43% were non-partisan; 87% were workers, farmers, and revolutionary soldiers; 10 were women; and 34 were from ethnic minorities.

The National Assembly included representatives from all three regions of North, Central, and South Vietnam, from various sectors ranging from veteran revolutionaries, businesspeople, intellectuals, and cultural activists to representatives of religious groups, non-partisans, and political parties.

The First National Assembly lasted 14 years, held 12 sessions, and reviewed and passed the 1946 Constitution and the 1959 Constitution, 16 laws, and 50 resolutions, including important laws such as: the Land Reform Law, the Law on Freedom of Assembly, the Law on Freedom of Association, the Law on the Press...

Assessing the results of the First National Assembly's activities, at the 12th session, the final session of the First National Assembly, President Ho Chi Minh stated: "Our National Assembly has wholeheartedly served the people and the country, and has gloriously fulfilled the duties of the people's representatives."

Pursuant to Clause 2, Article 1 of the 2014 Law on the Organization of the National Assembly, which stipulates the position and functions of the National Assembly:

1. The National Assembly is the highest representative body of the people and the highest state power organ of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

2. The National Assembly exercises constitutional power, legislative power, decides on important national issues, and exercises supreme oversight over the activities of the State.

Thus, according to the Law on the Organization of the National Assembly 2014 (amended and supplemented in 2020 and 2025), the National Assembly has the functions of exercising constitutional power, legislative power, deciding on important national issues, and exercising supreme oversight over the activities of the State.

Reference: thuvienphapluat.vn

According to the history of constitutional development in our country, since the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to date, our country has had five constitutions, namely the 1946 Constitution, the 1959 Constitution, the 1980 Constitution, the 1992 Constitution, and the 2013 Constitution.

According to regulations, the election day must be a Sunday and announced no later than 115 days before the election day. In special cases where it is necessary to postpone the voting day or vote earlier than the specified date, the Election Committee shall submit to the National Election Council for consideration and decision.

The 15th National Assembly issued Resolution No. 199/2025/QH15 on May 21, 2025, clearly deciding that the election day for deputies to the 16th National Assembly and deputies to the People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term is Sunday, March 15, 2026.

The election of National Assembly deputies and People's Council deputies is conducted according to four principles: the principle of universal suffrage; the principle of equality; the principle of direct election; and the principle of secret ballot.

The principle of universal suffrage is one of the fundamental principles of the electoral system. According to this principle, all citizens, regardless of ethnicity, gender, social class, beliefs, religion, educational level, or occupation, who are 18 years of age or older have the right to vote, and those who are 21 years of age or older have the right to run for election as a National Assembly delegate, and to run for the People's Council in accordance with the law (except for those who have been deprived of their right to vote by a court judgment or decision that has taken legal effect, or those who have been sentenced to death and are awaiting execution, those who are serving a prison sentence without a suspended sentence, or those who have lost their civil capacity). This principle reflects openness and broad democracy, ensuring that citizens can exercise their right to vote and run for office.

The principle of equality means that each person, each voter, can only receive one ballot and can only vote in one place, not multiple places. All ballots have equal value, regardless of whether they are cast by the rich, the poor, the elderly, the young, or those of high or low status.

The principle of direct voting aims to ensure that people directly express their will in choosing their representatives. Specifically, voters cast their ballots directly into ballot boxes without intermediaries, and voters also directly choose the person they vote for, without asking others to vote on their behalf or voting by mail.

The principle of secret ballot ensures that voters are free to choose the person they trust without being influenced by external conditions and factors. Accordingly, who voters vote for or do not vote for is kept confidential. Voters write their ballots in a private area, and no one is allowed to see them, including members of the Election Committee; no one is allowed to know or interfere with how voters write their ballots. Voters cast their ballots into the ballot box themselves.

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According to the "Questions and Answers on the Election of Deputies to the 16th National Assembly and Deputies to People's Councils at All Levels for the 2026-2031 Term," in question 178, the principle for determining the elected candidates is as follows:

- Election results are calculated based on valid votes and are only recognized when more than half of the total number of voters on the voter list in the electoral unit participate in the election, except in the case of a re-election where the number of voters who cast their votes still does not reach more than half of the total number of voters on the voter list, in which case the re-election results are recognized without organizing a second re-election;

- The elected candidate must be the candidate who receives more than half of the total valid votes;

- If the number of candidates receiving more than half of the total valid votes exceeds the number of representatives to be elected in the electoral unit, the candidates with the highest number of votes shall be elected;

- In the event that the last candidates on the list have the same number of votes and exceed the number of representatives elected for the electoral unit, the older candidate shall be elected.

According to the "Q&A on the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and deputies to People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term," question 157 clearly states: When voters write their ballots, no one is allowed to watch, including members of the Election Team. If they make a mistake, voters have the right to exchange their ballot for another one.

According to the "Q&A on the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and deputies to People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term," question 169 clearly states: After voters have cast their ballots, members of the Election Committee are responsible for reminding voters to present their voter cards and stamp "Voted" on the front of the voter card. Voters keep their Voter Cards; voters may not present Voter Cards stamped with "Voted" to request to vote.