Nguyen Xuan Son arrived at the polling station with his teammates in the mid-afternoon. Polling station staff guided him to check the voter list, receive his ballot, and follow the prescribed procedures. Before voting, the player took time to research the biographies and action programs of the candidates.
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Nguyen Xuan Son casts his ballot in Nam Dinh ward, on the afternoon of 15/3. Photo: Thep Xanh Nam Dinh FC |
"I am very happy and proud to vote for the first time as a Vietnamese citizen. This is very meaningful for me and my family", Nguyen Xuan Son shared in Vietnamese after completing his vote.
Nguyen Xuan Son, birth name Rafaelson Bezerra Fernandes, was born in 1997 in Brazil. He officially became a Vietnamese citizen in late 2024 after many years playing in the V.League. He currently plays for Thep Xanh Nam Dinh FC, previously won the V.League top scorer title, and was part of the Vietnam national team that won the Southeast Asian championship.
On the same morning in Hanoi, Hanoi FC player Do Hoang Hen also cast his ballot at his place of residence. He expressed happiness at being able to exercise his civic rights in Vietnam. According to Hen, voting was not difficult because he had previously participated in elections in Brazil and Spain.
"I am very proud and happy to be standing here today as a Vietnamese citizen", Hen said, also expressing gratitude to Hanoi FC and chairman Hien for supporting him in completing the naturalization process.
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Do Hoang Hen casts his ballot on the morning of 15/3. Photo: Hanoi Football Club |
According to the 2013 Constitution and the 2015 Law on Election of National Assembly Deputies and People's Council Delegates, Vietnamese citizens aged 18 and above have the right to vote. Naturalized Vietnamese citizens, if of age and on the voter list, can exercise this right like other citizens, except in cases where voting rights are revoked by a court sentence, individuals are serving prison sentences, or are deemed to have lost civil capacity.
From 7h to 19h on 15/3, nearly 79 million voters nationwide participated in electing 500 deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People's Council delegates for the 2026-2031 term. As of 14h on the same day, over 61 million voters had cast their ballots, reaching over 80,6%. Many localities recorded high voter turnout, including Dien Bien, Ha Tinh, and Lao Cai, with Lao Cai reaching nearly 98%.
Le Hoang
