Lively atmosphere on island communes

Tam Hai is a small island commune located about 90km south of Da Nang’s administrative centre. Despite its distance from the mainland, preparations for election day are being carried out urgently and solemnly. At the ferry terminal leading to the island, welcoming gates, banners, and posters promoting the election have been brightly displayed by the local authorities.

While reviewing the list of voters in the hamlet, Phan Nhu Tuong, Secretary of the Party Cell of Long Thanh Dong Hamlet in Tam Hai Commune, said that with its island characteristics, the livelihoods of more than 1,600 residents in the hamlet are closely tied to the sea, including aquaculture, shipbuilding, and boat maintenance.

“For the local residents, each ballot not only reflects their aspirations for policies on marine economic development, but also embodies their expectations for improved transport infrastructure and social welfare. The Party Cell has assigned 15 Party members to conduct outreach across 10 residential groups to ensure the voting rights of all citizens,” Tuong said.

According to the Election Committee of Tam Hai Commune, the locality will elect 20 representatives, divided into seven constituencies with nine polling stations in accordance with regulations. After the third consultation conference, 33 candidates were confirmed to stand for election to the Commune People’s Council for the 2026–2031 term.

Chairman of the Commune People’s Committee Huynh Van Cuong said that according to national population database statistics, Tam Hai Commune has more than 8,000 residents, but, after verification, the actual number is 6,067 people. This discrepancy created difficulties in compiling the voter list. However, the locality reported the issue to the municipal Department of Home Affairs and implemented a temporary solution by manually writing voter information onto voter cards, which are signed and stamped by communal authorities. This process also helps verify the full voter data to ensure residents can exercise their rights and obligations on election day.

Meanwhile, on Tan Hiep, surrounded by vast waters, preparations for election day are also being carried out in an urgent and energetic manner.

According to the Election Steering Committee of Tan Hiep Commune, the population is 2,572, and the commune will elect 15 members of the Commune People’s Council for the 2026–2031 term at three polling stations. Election preparations on island communes differ from those on the mainland because they rely entirely on water transport. The transportation of election materials, ballot boxes, and equipment is directly affected by weather conditions and sea waves. If unexpected situations occur, support from higher-level authorities may not arrive as quickly as it would on the mainland.

Heavy rain, storms, or rough seas may occur during the election period, potentially affecting voters’ travel. There is also a risk of power outages and communication disruptions. Strong sea conditions may prevent fishermen working offshore or residents working on the mainland from returning to vote. To address these risks, the locality has prepared five contingency plans following the principles of proactive response and the motto of “openness, democracy” and “voting correctly and sufficiently.”

Secretary of the Tan Hiep Commune Party Committee Le Moi said that after verification there are 2,206 eligible voters on the island, including 1,989 residents in hamlets and 217 voters from armed forces units. As many voters are fishermen working offshore or residents working on the mainland, the communal election committee has instructed polling teams to review voter lists and visit households to maintain contact. Coordination with the police has also been a help in notifying residents to return to the island in time to exercise their civic rights.

Tan Hiep Island Commune is part of the Cu Lao Cham Biosphere Reserve, which attracts many international tourists. Therefore, election decorations and visual communications have been carefully arranged to ensure solemnity.

“With the characteristics of an island commune, the locality has also prepared backup plans in case adverse weather affects voters travelling to polling stations. One option is to use mobile ballot boxes placed at the Cua Dai Border Guard Station so voters currently on the mainland can still cast their ballots,” Moi said.

Ready with contingency plans

According to the Election Committee of Da Nang City, there are 24 candidates for deputies to the 16th National Assembly, 125 candidates for the City People’s Council, and 3,121 candidates for Commune-level People’s Councils.

Director of the municipal Department of Home Affairs Tran Thi Kim Hoa said that election preparations across communes and wards — including island communes — have been guided by the City Election Committee and implemented by local authorities in accordance with legal regulations and the planned schedule. The Department of Home Affairs, acting as the Standing Body of the City Election Committee, has organised training sessions on procedures before, during, and after polling day for commune-level People’s Committees and polling teams across the localities. The training provided detailed guidance to commune authorities and polling teams on the assignment of related responsibilities.

Specific arrangements have been prepared in the island communes to ensure that voters can cast their ballots on election day, March 15.

“In the event that natural disasters or adverse weather conditions isolate a polling area, preventing voters from reaching polling stations, procedures will follow the guidance of the Minister of Home Affairs. Accordingly, mobile ballot boxes may be used to enable voters to cast their ballots.

Regarding vote counting, polling teams at the commune level must complete the counting within less than 24 hours after voting ends at the polling stations, and the vote-counting records must be prepared and submitted to the Election Board no later than three days after election day,” Hoa said.

Although several days remain before the elections for deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils for the 2026–2031 term, on the island communes of Tan Hiep and Tam Hai in Da Nang City, the unity between the Party’s will and the people’s aspirations has already taken shape. Residents eagerly await March 15 to cast their ballots to choose the most capable representatives to speak for the people and contribute to firmly safeguarding the nation’s maritime sovereignty.