More than 900 million Chinese voters are expected to directly elect over 2.5 million lawmakers in grass-root county or township-level elections set to begin this year, a work report of China’s top legislature read.

“Beginning in 2016, elections will be held for new people’s congresses at the county and township levels across the country... This will be a major political event in China, and an important step in the development of socialist democracy,” said the work report delivered by top legislator Zhang Dejiang on March 9.