When President Xi Jinping cast his vote to elect deputies for Beijing's Xicheng district people's congress on Nov 5, 2021, he highlighted that the process was an embodiment of how the nation is run by the people.
On that day, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said that the election of deputies is fundamental to China's people's congress system.
He emphasized that whole-process people's democracy relies on the integration of democratic elections with democratic consultations, decision-making, management and oversight.
As democracy is a shared value of humanity, Xi stressed during a central conference on work related to people's congresses in 2021 that the key to a country's democracy lies in whether the people run the country, depending on if the people have the right to vote and, more important, if the people have the right to broad participation. There are many ways to achieve democracy, he said, calling for efforts to improve the system of people's congresses to ensure the realization of whole-process democracy in the country.
China's people's congress system serves as the country's fundamental political system, based on the principle that all power belongs to the people.
It is structured in multiple tiers, from the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, down to congresses at the provincial, city, county and township levels. Deputies are elected at each level every five years. Between the elections, the consultative democracy continuously engages with the people through the congress system via means such as feedback loops, public opinion hotlines and community consultations.
This year, a new round of elections for county and township deputies is underway nationwide.
Wang Liguo, a resident of Fuzhoucheng town in Wafangdian, Liaoning province, cast his vote for township deputies on Oct 20.
"This is my right as a voter, and it's our way, as citizens, to take part in governing the country," said Wang, one of over 700,000 voters in Wafangdian who went to polling stations across the city that day. "I approach voting seriously so that we can elect deputies to the people's congresses who truly represent the people."
Jiao Hongchang, a law professor at China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, said the election of county- and township-level lawmakers is the most direct expression of whole-process people's democracy, serving as the primary means by which the Constitution's electoral rights are realized.
Under the Constitution, all citizens age 18 or older have the right to vote and run for election, regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, occupation, family background, religious beliefs, education level, property status or length of residence, except those legally deprived of political rights.
According to China's electoral law, deputies to people's congresses at county and township levels are directly elected by voters, while deputies to people's congresses above the county level are elected by deputies from the next-lower level.
Jiao said direct elections are the "starting point" of whole-process people's democracy.
"They form the foundation for democratic elections, consultation, decision-making, management and oversight, vividly showcasing the authenticity, breadth and vitality of China's democracy," he said.
Jiao added that the elected deputies serve as a bridge between State organs and the public. "The quality of deputy election affects governance ability and determines whether the power serves the people and reflects public opinion," he said. "The election of deputies to people's congresses is conducive to strengthening grassroots State power and modernizing local governance."
In September, Song Rui, deputy secretary-general of the NPC Standing Committee, told a news conference that more than 1 billion voters nationwide will directly elect more than 2.6 million deputies to county and township people's congresses this year. He urged enhanced support for deputies in fulfilling their duties, maintaining close contact with the public, conveying their views and concerns, and helping to resolve practical issues.
Li Ying, a resident of the Changsheng community in Gangdian subdistrict of Wafangdian, said that voting is a crucial part of political life. "Deputies represent us and express our concerns, so it's important for me to vote thoughtfully," she said after voting on Oct 20. "I hope the newly elected deputies will pay attention to our difficulties and genuinely help resolve our challenges."
Mao Yuchong, a student at College of Science and Technology of China Three Gorges University in Yichang, Hubei province, recently cast his vote for the first time for deputies to the local people's congress. "I got up at 8 am to get ready," he said. "I'd only ever read about these elections in textbooks or seen them in films. Now I've experienced it myself. This is what democracy looks like."
County and township authorities have implemented measures to make voter registration more inclusive and improve the voting process. In Liangxi district of Wuxi, Jiangsu province, an online platform was launched on WeChat to assist young residents and those living away from home in registering and discussing election-related matters.
In remote mountain areas such as the towns of Wangyou and Xiantang in Guizhou province, staff members visited the homes of elderly voters and those with limited mobility to ensure they could exercise their right to vote.
These efforts aim to enforce the Constitution and the electoral law, and uphold the people's role as the country's masters.
Jiao, the professor, said that advancing the modernization of grassroots governance involves completing the new round of lawmaker elections at county and township levels, scientifically drawing constituency boundaries, protecting the voting rights of migrant populations, and rigorously reviewing deputy qualifications. "These are not only major political events, but also the shared expectations of the people," he said.
