Part 3: From election day to the people’s security posture on the border

Driven by social consensus within each community and embodied in every ballot cast, election day stands as vivid testament to the strength of public unity at the nation’s borderland.

Firm on their weapons, fully fulfilling duties on election day

Behind the peace and order across polling areas lies the dedicated contribution of the green-epaulet soldiers. Every officer and soldier demonstrated a high sense of responsibility, proactively resolving emerging situations right at the grassroots to prevent any disruption to the election.

During the election period, the Leng Su Sìn Border Post managed eight villages: Tả Kố Khừ, Leng Su Sìn, Suối Voi, Gia Chứ, Phứ Ma, Á Di, Cà Là Pá, and Cà Là Pá 1. Facing an expansive area, scattered population, and arduous access to several residential quarters, the unit’s personnel focused on delivering election details directly to each voter, helping residents understand their rights and obligations. Alongside outreach campaigns, the Leng Su Sìn Border Post closely monitored territorial conditions, borderlines, and border markers. The unit coordinated with local Party committees, administrations, police forces, civil defense, and relevant units to devise security and safety plans before, during, and after election day.

Accompanying Border Guard personnel during the election period, Khoàng Dè Sà, Secretary of the Phứ Ma village Party Cell in Sín Thầu commune, noted that border guard officers visited the village to explain the election, ensuring residents understood their civic rights and duties. Their regular patrols and order-maintenance efforts gave villagers great peace of mind, allowing people to feel joyful, secure, and confident as they carried their ballots to the polls.

Across the area managed by the A Pa Chải Border Post, four polling teams were established: Team No.1 at Tá Miếu village cultural house; Team No.2 at Pờ Nhù Khồ village cultural house; Team No.3 at A Pa Chải village cultural house; and Team No.4 at Tả Sú Lình village cultural house, encompassing an aggregate electorate of more than 720 voters. Identifying security and order assurance before, during, and after the election as a core task, the A Pa Chải Border Post formulated operational plans aligned closely with local features. Personnel stepped up patrols, controls, and grassroots monitoring, focusing on polling sites, border corridors, and areas with potential complexities.

Lieutenant Colonel Đinh Quốc Tập, Deputy Political Officer of the A Pa Chải Border Post, stated that grounded in local conditions, the unit prioritized safeguarding political security and social order, ensuring absolute safety for the election, and creating favorable conditions for residents to exercise their mastery. To guarantee safety, the unit strictly maintained round-the-clock combat readiness regimes.

Protection plans for military units, polling stations, and key installations were meticulously reviewed and rehearsed. Forces collaborated closely with local authorities to resolve incidents promptly, preventing passive or unexpected situations. Furthermore, officers visited each village and met individual households to grasp public sentiments, while assigned party members leveraged the role of village elders, heads, and prestigious community figures.

In remote villages, outreach was delivered in an accessible, practical manner. The unit provided clear information on polling schedules, locations, and voter rights and responsibilities, heightening civic awareness and building public consensus.

Lieutenant Colonel Đinh Quốc Tập emphasized that the unit identified building a firm people’s security posture as vital. Each officer and soldier had to perform their border defense mission well while serving as an outreach advocate and a bridge connecting local authorities with the people. The unit also took proactive steps to counter distorted and erroneous narratives, preventing hostile elements from exploiting ethnic, religious, democratic, or social issues to trigger instability.

Ballots entrusting faith at the nation’s frontier

On March 15, 2026, joining voters nationwide, residents across Điện Biên’s border areas went to polling booths to exercise their civic rights. Early in the morning, routes leading to polling stations grew bustling with conversations regarding the election and the selection of representatives worthy of expressing the will and aspirations of border communities.

During the election period, the Nậm Nhừ Border Post prepared carefully and deployed forces across each village and residential cluster. To assist voters in accessing information, understanding their rights and duties, and casting ballots with confidence, personnel remained stationed in their areas, conducting outreach while monitoring local security. This thorough preparation by Party committees, authorities, and armed forces laid the ground for a successful election festival.

Major Đỗ Xuân Điềm, Political Officer of the Nậm Nhừ Border Post, stated that the unit coordinated to ensure all 13 villages and residential clusters in the area achieved high turnout rates. The election proceeded democratically, lawfully, safely, and economically, truly becoming a festival of the entire people, thereby consolidating the grassroots political apparatus and building an increasingly solid border region.

The 2026 election took place at a time when localities were carrying out significant organizational and administrative model restructuring. In that context, conducting outreach and securing grassroots consensus proved crucial. The presence of Border Guard personnel fostered close ties between the military and civilians, facilitating seamless election operations. Where access to information remained limited, cadres traveled directly to villages to explain the meaning of the election alongside voter rights and duties.

Along with communication efforts, border units actively monitored public opinion. Officers assigned to localities worked with community elders and village leaders to address emerging issues at the grassroots. Security and public order measures were implemented synchronously. Units maintained strict combat readiness rosters, increased patrols, and protected polling booths and critical infrastructure. This dedication won high public backing, leading to an election turnout rate of 99.94% among border voters.

According to Colonel Lê Đức Nghĩa, Deputy Political Commissar of the provincial Border Guard Command, given the expansive territory, rugged topography, and dispersed population of the border region, communication on the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026 - 2031 tenure was defined as an important political assignment rolled out early, synchronously, and practically. The provincial Border Guard Command’s units accelerated mass mobilization, stayed close to local realities, and collaborated with Party committees and authorities to encourage voters to exercise their civic rights and duties fully. Concurrently, the provincial Border Guard Command advised on preparations, contributing to the overall success of the election.

The effective practices of Border Guard units during the 2026 election reaffirmed the value of staying close to the people and the land, innovating communication formats, maximizing the role of prestigious individuals, and fostering inter-agency coordination to build grassroots consensus. The festive day has passed and ballots have been cast, yet public trust must continue to be nurtured through practical actions. Border Guard officers and soldiers continue to stand firm on their weapons, safeguarding border sovereignty, deepening the trust of ethnic communities, and forging an unshakeable people’s security posture at the westernmost frontier of the Fatherland.