Vietnam: Are citizens required to participate in elections? Will citizens who do not participate in elections be fined?
Are citizens who do not participate in elections fined according to Vietnamese regulations? Is it mandatory to vote?
According to the provisions of Article 27 of the 2013 Constitution of the socialist republic of Vietnam, there are specific provisions as follows:
Citizens who are eighteen years of age or older have the right to vote and twenty-one years of age or older have the right to stand for election to the National Assembly or People's Councils. The exercise of these rights is provided for by law.
Accordingly, voting is one of the civil rights.
This right is once again repeated in Article 2 of the Law on Election of Members of the National Assembly and Deputies to the People's Council 2015, specifically as follows:
Article 2. Voting age and age of candidacy
From the date on which the polling day is announced, every 18-year-old or older citizen of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is entitled to vote in the election and every 21-year-old or older citizen is entitled to stand for the election to the National Assembly and the People’s Councils as prescribed in this Law.
Article 15 of the 2013 Constitution of the socialist republic of Vietnam provides that:
Accordingly, although voting is one of the rights of citizens, citizens also need to exercise this rightfully and in accordance with the provisions of the law.
However, currently, in legal documents on administrative sanctions, there are no provisions for sanctions for eligible persons who do not participate in elections.
Vietnam: Are citizens required to participate in elections? Will citizens who do not participate in elections be fined?
Is it possible to ask family members to vote for you in Vietnam?
Pursuant to the provisions of Article 1 of the Law on Election of Deputies to the National Assembly and Deputies to the People's Council 2015, specific election principles are provided as follows:
Article 1. Rules for election
The election of deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Councils shall be conducted in the principles of universal suffrage, equality, direct voting and secret ballot.
Article 69 of the Law on Election of Members of the National Assembly and Deputies to the People's Council 2015 provides for specific voting principles as follows:
Article 69. Rules for voting
1. Each elector is entitled to cast only one ballot for National Assembly deputies and one ballot for People’s Council deputies equivalent to each level of People’s Council.
2. Electors shall cast their ballots by themselves, except for cases prescribed in Clause 3 and Clause 4 of this Article; the electors are required to present their electors’ cards for voting.
3. Any elector unable to write his/her ballot may ask another person to do that for him/her but he/she is required to cast the ballot by himself/herself; the person who helps in writing the ballot must keep secret the elector’s ballot. If, due to his/her disability, the elector is unable to cast ballot by himself/herself, he/she can ask another person to cast the ballot into the ballot box.
4. In cases where an elector is ill, old or disabled, being unable to go to the polling booth, the Election Team shall bring an auxiliary ballot box and the ballot to his/her residence so that he/she can receive the ballot and cast it. In cases where an elector is detained or stayed in a reform school or a detoxification center which have no separate polling station or the elector is arrested temporarily, the Electoral Team shall bring an auxiliary ballot box and the ballot to the detention center, arrest center, reform school or detoxification center so that he/she can receive the ballot and cast it.
5. When an elector is writing a ballot, nobody, even persons of the Election Team, is allowed to come and see;
6. If the elector makes a writing error, he/she may ask the Election Team to change the ballot.
7. When the elector casted the ballot, the Election Team shall stamp “Casted” on the elector’s card.
8. Everyone must abide by the rules of the polling booth.
Accordingly, voters must vote on their own, go to the polls, not ask others to vote for them.
When voters cannot write their own ballots, they ask others to write them, but they must vote for themselves; the writer must ensure the confidentiality of the voter's vote.
In case a voter with a disability cannot vote on their own, ask someone else to vote at the ballot box.
In case a sick, elderly or disabled voter is unable to go to the polling booth, the Election Team shall bring the ballot box and ballot paper to the voter's accommodation and treatment for the voter to receive the ballot and conduct the election.
For voters who are in custody, who are serving measures to be placed in compulsory education institutions, compulsory detoxification facilities for which detention centers, compulsory education institutions, compulsory detoxification establishments do not have their own polling stations or voters who are being held at detention centers, the election team shall carry an auxiliary ballot box and ballots go to detention centers, detention centers, compulsory educational institutions, compulsory detoxification facilities for voters to receive ballots and make elections.
Thus, citizens are not allowed to ask family members to vote for them. The State always creates the most favorable conditions for citizens to exercise their right to vote.
What is the date of the election set in Vietnam?
Article 5 of the Law on Election of Members of the National Assembly and Deputies to the People's Council 2015 stipulates specific election dates as follows:
Article 5. The polling day
The polling day must be a Sunday and be announced within 115 days before the polling day.
Thus, the date of the election is specified as above.
Above is some of the information we provide to you. Best regards!
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