This March 26 will be another Sunday marked by the hustle and bustle at the polls, when the citizens from Ciego de Ávila, like the rest of the Cubans, assert their right to vote to designate those who will represent them for the next five years in the Assembly National of People's Power.

With this purpose—which is estimated to involve around 318,000 voters in Ciego de Ávila with the possibility of exercising their suffrage—912 polling stations were set up in the province, which opened their doors very early and will close at six in the afternoon.

At that time, the scrutiny will take place, an act, by law, public, which as such may be witnessed by all those who wish to do so.

Marleny Báez Valdivia, vice president of the Provincial Electoral Council (CEP), explained that those voters who, for work, educational and personal reasons, are far from their areas of residence, may exercise their right to vote at the nearest polling station. For this purpose, 30 special schools located in the National Bus terminal, the provincial hospitals of Ciego de Ávila and Morón, one on the high seas—in the municipality of Venezuela—will also operate, while the largest number will be located in the Jardines tourist center King.

Unlike previous processes, according to the CEP, for this occasion, two electoral districts will function in the head municipality, with headquarters in the Raúl Corrales Pedagogical School and the Ernesto Che Guevara Pre-University Institute, which will cover 124 constituencies. Said structures have a similar integration to that established for the municipal electoral councils and, according to the vice president of the CEP, their creation will allow the electoral process to gain organization and agility in the processing of information.

After the plenary sessions of the mass organizations were held last December, and the Municipal Assemblies of People's Power met in an extraordinary session on February 5, the candidates for deputies to the highest legislative body of the nation were nominated. As a result, on this occasion, two candidates for deputies will integrate the ballot in nine municipalities, while, in the provincial capital, they will add five (proportionally divided between both districts for voting), for a total of 23, who will carry on their shoulders the responsibility of being the voice of those of this land in Parliament—which will be integrated in its X Legislature by 470 deputies (135 less than the current one, in accordance with the current Electoral Law) representing all sectors of Cuban society.

This date is preceded by previous preparation days, such as the one on the 19th, when the dynamic test was carried out which, with the support of organizations, mass organizations and the community, evaluated the existing conditions in the polling stations set up for the elections. In addition, the assurance of food, transportation and communications plans, which are determinant for the proper development of the process. Likewise, it was possible to verify the presence and mastery of the procedures of the more than 7,000 electoral authorities who, after training, will work throughout the day in each of the established structures.

The traditional pioneer guard will guard the ballot boxes until the polling stations close, in elections that will also bear the seal of youth, since more than 1,000 students from Middle and Higher Education have been involved in the process as collaborators. 

In accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Law, in order for a candidate to be elected as a deputy to the National Assembly of Popular Power, he must obtain more than half of the valid votes cast in the municipality or electoral district, as the case may be.