Improving capacity of grassroots election officials
The city is focusing on intensifying training and providing detailed guidance for personnel involved in election work to ensure that all stages and tasks are carried out in accordance with the law and on schedule.
Facing the high requirements of the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and the People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term, the city has focused on intensifying training and providing specific guidance for personnel engaged in election work to ensure that all stages and tasks are implemented in accordance with the law, on schedule, safely, and effectively.
Proactively unifying and guiding professional procedures from an early stage
On February 26, the National Election Council held a nationwide online conference to deploy election tasks. Shortly afterward, on February 28, the Hai Phong City Election Committee organized a training session on election procedures for members of election organizations as well as officials and civil servants directly advising and assisting with election work at both the city and commune levels.
Through the training, personnel responsible for election preparations were thoroughly instructed on professional procedures for organizing Election Day, including ceremonial decoration and visual publicity at polling stations, mobilizing voters to participate in voting, and compiling information on the election software system.
Training sessions closely aligned with practical needs have helped grassroots personnel grasp procedures more firmly and reduce errors when carrying out specific tasks. According to Ms. Nguyen Hong Phuong, a member of Polling Team No. 7 in Dong Hai Ward, the team has 21 members with varying levels of qualifications and experience. Some had previously participated in election work, while others were doing so for the first time, which initially made coordination challenging. In addition, the process of reviewing and compiling the list of temporary resident voters also encountered difficulties because many people work far from home and are hard to contact.
After the training sessions, the knowledge and skills of team members improved significantly, making coordination in performing their tasks smoother and more effective.
According to Mr. Le Van Hieu, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the City People’s Council, and Chairman of the Hai Phong City Election Committee, the committee provided timely guidance on directives and professional procedures for election work to relevant agencies and localities from an early stage. Up to now, the City Election Committee has issued around 120 directives and guidance documents, while the Department of Home Affairs has issued more than 100 documents urging and guiding agencies, units, and localities to ensure progress in accordance with legal regulations.
By early March 2026, the National Election Council and the Hai Phong City Election Committee had organized a series of direct and online training sessions for election personnel in 114 communes, wards, and special zones. These sessions focused on the organization and operation of election committees at all levels, responsibilities of members, communication and ceremonial decoration work, and monitoring the situation to ensure security and safety for the election.
Thanks to proactive implementation by local authorities, many tasks were completed earlier than required, and preparations for Election Day in the city have been carried out thoroughly and on schedule.
“Hands-on guidance” to meet new requirements
Although training has been strengthened regularly, this election includes many new features, requiring closer and more direct guidance up until Election Day. According to the Hai Phong City Election Committee, the city currently has 113 out of 114 commune-level Election Committees with a total of 1,858 members; 718 Election Committees for commune-level People’s Council deputies with 8,316 members; and 2,577 polling teams established at 114 People’s Committees of communes, wards, and special zones. Each polling team typically consists of 11 to 21 members.
The large number of personnel reflects the wide scale of election work, which requires smooth coordination and a high level of consistency. This is particularly significant as the two-tier local government system has only recently come into operation, and many commune-level officials have been transferred from district-level positions and are not yet fully familiar with local areas and populations. In addition, following administrative mergers, population sizes have increased and administrative areas have expanded, causing some localities to face difficulties in implementing election preparations. Furthermore, with the election schedule being tight, the heavy workload has created considerable pressure at the grassroots level.
This is also the first election to apply digital transformation from the central level to the grassroots level in compiling voter lists and candidate dossiers. The deployment of election software, while still being refined during implementation, has posed challenges for many localities, as the capacity for information technology application and technical facilities in some suburban and remote communes remain limited. Therefore, regular and practical training is essential to help polling teams operate the election software effectively to compile and update voter data, instead of manually consolidating information as in previous elections. This has been a common recommendation from many communes, wards, and special administrative zones in order to enhance the capacity and practical skills of grassroots election personnel in recent times.
Recently, during an inspection on election preparations in Hai Phong, Mr. Tran Thanh Man, Chairman of the National Assembly and Chairman of the National Election Council, emphasized that the city should strengthen comprehensive and practical training, including hands-on guidance, for grassroots personnel, especially in densely populated areas, areas with highly mobile populations, and coastal and island regions.
Regarding this matter, Mr. Le Ngoc Chau, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the Hai Phong People’s Committee, and Standing Vice Chairman of the City Election Committee, requested local authorities to not only intensify training but also proactively assign capable commune-level officials to support polling teams, ensuring that the election scheduled for March 15 achieves the best possible results.
When every stage is carefully prepared and grassroots polling teams are fully equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills, Election Day will take place safely, democratically, and in full compliance with the law, truly becoming a festival of the entire people.
Bui Huong