Giving rural residents a voice

More than 900 million voters are expected to participate in the elections for the two levels of congress, which will see more than 2.5 million deputies elected, according to data provided by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

This is the second election since 2010, when the Electoral Law was amended to grant rural and urban residents equal representation. From 1995 to 2010, each rural deputy represented populations four times bigger than those of their urban counterparts.

The law states that the candidates can be nominated by bodies such as CPC committees or nominated directly by at least 10 voters. The 2010 amendment states that meetings can be organized between candidates and voters.