Many areas in the mountainous region of Nghe An province have completed early voting with a high voter turnout rate.

At 55 early voting locations in the mountainous and border communes of the province, people of all ethnic groups enthusiastically participated in this national event. The election atmosphere was solemn, democratic, and warm. Each voter cast was a right, a civic duty, and a reflection of their trust and expectations in the representatives who would voice their opinions.

Crossing mountains to vote early

Huoi Xui village is located about 12km from the center of Keng Du commune via a mountainous road. The road to the village winds along the mountainside, with many steep and muddy sections after forest rains.

The entire village has 89 households with 502 inhabitants, of which more than 97% are poor or near-poor households. Due to difficult economic conditions and poor transportation, this area held its elections early.

On the morning of March 13th, as the sun was just rising, many voters in Huoi Xui had already arrived at the polling station. Some walked, others rode motorbikes, and groups of people from various residential areas gradually gathered at the village's community center. Some households living far away had to get up before dark to cross several mountains in time to arrive at the polling station on time.

The atmosphere at the polling station became more lively as people in traditional Khơ Mú ethnic costumes chatted with each other while waiting for their turn to exercise their civic rights.

Mr. Luong Van Dooc, head of Huoi Xui village, said that the villagers were very excited to participate in the election. "We hope that the elected representatives will pay more attention to the lives of people in remote areas, especially regarding policies to support economic development and upgrade transportation infrastructure," Mr. Dooc shared.

Among the crowds arriving at the polling station were many young voters participating in the election for the first time. Voter Luong Thi Khanh (21 years old) expressed her joy at exercising her civic right for the first time. “Today is my first time voting, so I’m very excited. I hope that after being elected, the representatives will pay more attention to transportation in mountainous areas, helping people travel more easily, especially during the rainy season,” Khanh said.

Currently, there is no paved road from Huoi Xui village to the commune center. During the rainy season, many sections of the road become slippery, making travel very difficult for the local people.

Khanh said that after the Tet holiday, she planned to return to the construction site in Hanoi to continue working. However, when the management board informed her about the election date, Khanh proactively postponed her return to work to participate in voting.

Not only in Huồi Xui, but also in Khe Linh village, more than 20km away through the forest, the election atmosphere was very lively.

Khe Linh village has 60 households with 287 inhabitants, including 181 voters. Immediately after the flag-raising ceremony at the community center, the voters proceeded to carry out the procedures to exercise their right to self-governance.

Village head Pit Van Son said that the villagers were very excited to participate in the election and hoped to choose representatives who were truly dedicated and responsible to the people.

Due to the relatively high illiteracy rate in the village, many elderly voters are not fluent in the common language, so members of the election committee have to use the local language to guide the voting process and explain information about the candidates.

This allows people to better understand their rights and responsibilities before choosing worthy representatives to voice their opinions.

To ensure security on election day, the Keng Du commune police force proactively monitored the local situation and coordinated with other forces to disseminate information and encourage people to exercise their rights and civic duties. The entire Keng Du commune has 12 polling stations, including 2 stations where early voting was held.

Trust is placed in every ballot.

In the border commune of Tri Le, the atmosphere of early voting was also solemn and enthusiastic. The entire commune has 10 polling units with 21 polling stations. Among them, there are 4 early voting locations: Huoi Moi, Nam Tot, Huoi Xai, and Muong Long, with nearly 1,655 voters. The polling station in Huoi Moi village is more than 20km from the commune center. This is home to 578 voters, mainly ethnic Mong people.

From early morning, people in traditional attire flocked from all directions to the polling station. Because there was no community cultural center, the polling station was set up in a resident's home. The polling area was decorated with flags, flowers, and slogans in accordance with regulations.

Holding his voter card in his hand, Mr. Xong Tung Bi quickly completed the procedures to participate in the election. He shared that he had high expectations for the candidates for the National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels. "We hope that after being elected, the representatives will pay more attention to the lives of ethnic minority people, especially policies to support livelihoods and economic development," Mr. Bi said.

According to Pham Ngoc Nghia, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of Tri Le commune, thanks to good preparation, the early voting at polling stations in the commune proceeded smoothly. Voters arrived at the polling stations on time, and the atmosphere was democratic, safe, and serious.

Attending the early election in Huoi Moi village, Tri Le commune, the Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Hoang Nghia Hieu, acknowledged the proactive spirit of the locality in organizing the election.

The Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee also requested Tri Le commune to continue focusing on leadership and guidance to ensure that other areas complete the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and deputies to the People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term on March 15th in a democratic, lawful, safe manner, and truly as a festival for all the people.

From Huoi Xui in Keng Du to Huoi Moi in Tri Le, from villages deep in the mountains to polling stations on the border, every vote cast by highland voters is contributing to the celebration of the nation.

Those ballots not only demonstrate the people's right to self-governance but also convey their faith in the transformation of their homeland and in the representatives who will represent the will and aspirations of the people in this remote border region of the country.