Colonel Le Van Tu, Political Commissar of the Coast Guard Region 3 Command, visits Polling Station No. 10 in Phuoc Thang Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, and the crew of the KN-260 ship ahead of the early voting at sea.

After sailing more than 120 nautical miles, vessel KN 260 and its polling team arrived at the first polling station, Coast Guard ship CSB 6008.

Cao Hung, head of Polling Station 10 in Phuoc Thang ward, Ho Chi Minh City, carried several ballot boxes out to the maritime frontier.

Mr. Cao Hung (center) with two members of Polling Station No. 10 are assigned to organize early voting at the maritime border between Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Hung said:  “On the first day, there was a storm with heavy rain. As head of the polling team, my foremost responsibility was ensuring the absolute safety of the people and the election materials. I was a little bit worried, but after consulting with the ship’s commander and the polling team, I decided to proceed with the election at sea as planned. Safety measures were carefully considered, from selecting personnel to operating the small boat to transferring the election materials.”

Voters are excited with their voter cards, which were transported from the mainland to the front lines.

On ships performing missions along Vietnam’s maritime frontier, 270 fisheries surveillance officers and Coast Guard soldiers were participating in the election. A soldier named Ha Phuc Quang said: “This is a very special election for me, and it’s a joyful experience, a memorable milestone in my military career. Voting at sea, in the waters bordering Vietnam and Indonesia, makes me feel like I’m really contributing my full effort.”

Casting a ballot on their ship makes Coast Guard soldiers and fisheries surveillance officers feel more strongly than ever the invisible bond connecting the vast sea with the mainland.

The early voting at sea is implemented in full compliance with legal procedures and regulations.

A soldier named Vu Minh Tuan said: “We’re carrying out a mission to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in border waters in order to get the European Commission’s ‘yellow card’ removed. Although I’ve only been on this mission for two days, holding a ballot in my hand at sea makes me very happy.”

After 7 days at sea traveling 1,000 nautical miles, vessel KN 260 returned to the mainland. The ballot boxes, carefully sealed and protected, carried the will and decisions of voters on the maritime frontier, along with their hope for a stronger, more prosperous nation.