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In compliance with the Electoral Law of the National People's Congress and the Local People's Congresses, deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) are elected by secret ballot where a multi-candidate election approach is to be adopted. Therefore, the number of candidates standing in an election will be 20-50 percent higher than the number of deputies elected. Various political parties and mass organizations can jointly, or independently, propose candidates. More than 10 deputies, in a jointly signed petition, can also nominate prospective candidates.
The number of deputies to the NPC is limited by a ceiling of 3,000, and the quota, decided by the NPC Standing Committee, depends on different circumstances.
The candidate list is made public by the electoral committee 20 days ahead of the election. The following consultations and discussions will short-list the deputy nominees and that list will be made public five days before the election.
The number of deputies to the NPC from each province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the central government, will be allocated by the NPC Standing Committee according to the principle that the proportion of the population, represented by a deputy in a rural area, is four times the proportion of the population represented by a deputy in the city.
All minority ethnic groups should be represented by having deputies to the NPC. The quota are decided and allocated to each province, autonomous region and municipality by the NPC Standing Committee according to the population and distribution of each minority ethnic group. An ethnic group with a very small population should be represented by a single deputy to the NPC.
The election law also stipulates that there should be an appropriate representation of women, and returned overseas Chinese, within the NPC, and that the ratio of women deputies should be gradually raised.
During the election, the electors may vote for, or against, the proposed candidates, or alternatively, abstain, or elect, others. A candidate wins the election only by a majority vote from all electors. If the number of candidates voted for is more than the number of deputies to be elected, the total number of votes will decide the ballot result. In the case of equal voting, concerned candidates will be put to the ballot once more. The result of the election will be verified, and made public, by the Presidium of the NPC.
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