Vietnamese are casting votes on Sunday for national and local candidates contesting in the National Assembly election amid the coronavirus outbreak.

According to the media reports, about 69 million Vietnamese will use their right to vote today for national and local candidates during the nation’s twice-a-decade election as the government battles a new virus outbreak.

The Officials put in place strict social-distancing measures at poll stations across the country to reduce health risks.

The government expects eligible people to cast votes in National Assembly and local People’s Council elections.

The outcome of the National Assembly election, which will be announced in 20 days, won’t change key government policies.

“I hope all voters, knowing their role as the owners of the country, will join the vote to select the most trusted and worthy candidates to represent their voices,” National Assembly chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said before the election.

Some 92 percent of candidates for the National Assembly are members of the Communist Party, which also essentially vets independent candidates.

The number of contestants who are not party members fell this year to 74 from the 97 in the previous elections in 2016.

Local media said the number of assembly deputies who were not party members halved across the last three elections.

Authoritative data show that 99 percent of Vietnam’s 67.5 million registered voters participated in the 2016 elections.