Published: 20.03.2023.

On Saturday, 6 October 2018 the elections to the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia (the Saeima) was held. The Saeima election procedure is determined by the Satversme (Constitution), the Saeima Election Law, as well as by other regulations. The elections are organized by the electoral commissions of three levels, namely the Central Election Commission, 119 City and Municipality Election Commissions and more than a thousand Polling Station Commissions in Latvia and abroad.

Voting Rights

All citizens of Latvia who on the Election Day had attained 18 years of age are entitled to vote.

At the Saeima elections voters have the right to vote in any polling station in Latvia or abroad irrespective of their place of residence or registered address. Voters are registered at polling stations by making a special mark in their passports.

Voters who have only electronic identity cards (eID), but did not have valid passports, from the 25th of September to the 6th of October 2018 have to receive a personalized voter card.

A voter can receive the voter card in that territorial section of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs where his/her electronic identity card (eID) was issued. The voter card can also be received in another territorial section of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs if a respective application in writing is submitted to the Office until 25 September 2018.

Ways of Voting

On the election day polling stations were open for voting between 7:00 am and 8:00 pm.

Voters who were not be able to attend a polling station on the election day, had a possibility to submit ballots for safe-keeping three days prior elections: on Wednesday the 3rd of October from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm; on Thursday the 4th of October from 9:00 am to 12 noon; on Friday the 5th of October from 10:00 am to 4 pm. The polling stations where ballots could be submitted for safe-keeping was set up in municipalities with at least 7,500 eligible voters. In municipalities with more than 20,000 eligible voters, polling stations where ballots may be submitted for safe-keeping were set up to ensure that there was one such polling station per 20,000 voters. Voters unable to come to the polling station for health reasons, caregivers of these voters and caregivers of ill persons could apply for off-site voting. Requests for off-site voting had to be submitted to the polling station nearest to the place where the voter is located between the 1st and 6th of October.

Overseas voters could participate in the Saeima elections by voting on the Election Day at one of the polling stations established abroad or by mail. Voters were be able to apply to vote by mail between the 5th of May and the 14th of September.

Voting was organized for soldiers and national guardsmen participating in international missions, as well as for voters in penitentiaries.

Polling stations could be also established on ships sailing under the flag of Latvia and registered in the Republic of Latvia. In order to exercise such rights, not less than 60 days before the elections the ship owner needed to submit a proposal to the Central Election Commission regarding establishing of polling station and polling station commission. No porposal was received.

Submission of lists of candidates

Submission of lists of candidates for the 13th Saeima elections took place between the 18th of July and the7th of August 2018. The lists of candidates had to be submitted to the Central Election Commission. Legally registered political parties and alliances of political parties are entitled to submit the list of candidates.

A political party submitting its list of candidates to the Saeima elections has to be founded not less than a year before the Saeima elections and it has to consist of not less than 500 members.

If the list of candidates is submitted by an alliance of political parties, each of the parties within the alliance has to be also founded not less than a year before the Saeima elections and the alliance has to consist of not less than 500 members.

Lists of candidates must be prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Saeima Election Law. Submitters of the lists of candidates have to make a security deposit of EUR 1,400 in the bank account of the Central Election Commission

Any citizen of Latvia who has reached the age of 21 before the Election Day may be elected to the Saeima unless one or more of the restrictions specified in the Saeima Election Law apply.

The lists of candidates and the attached documents must be prepared electronically in the system for submission of lists of candidates of the Central Election Commission. The lists of candidates and the attached documents must be submitted in paper too.

Pre-election Campaign

The period of pre-election campaign lasts from the 120th day before the elections until the election day.

From the 30th day before the election day the placement of materials of pre-election campaign on television is prohibited.

On the election day, and the day before the election day, the placement of materials of pre-election campaign on radio, public use outdoor areas and indoor premises, publications, on the Internet and authorities and capital companies, in which more than 50 per cent of capital shares (stocks) belong to the State or a municipality, is prohibited. On the Internet (except for the website of the political parties and alliances of political parties) on the Election Day and the day before the Election Day paid pre-election campaign also is prohibited.

On election day when polling stations are open pre-election campaign is prohibited inside the polling station or within 50 meters from the entrance to the building in which the polling station is located.

Monitoring of pre-election campaign is carried out (depending on the type of campaign) by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau, the National Electronic Mass Media Council, the State Police and the Municipal Police. The chairperson of the polling station commission ensures that there is no campaigning inside the polling station or within 50 meters from the entrance to it.

Conditions for the pre-election campaign are set out in the Pre-election Campaign Law.

1. On the election day at any polling station established abroad

The 13th Saeima elections will be held on Saturday the 6th of October 2018, and polling stations will be open for voters between 7:00 am and 8:00 pm local time.

The list of the polling stations abroad will be available in May. 

2. Vote by mail

The 13th Saeima elections will be held on Saturday the 6th of October 2018, and polling stations

Applications for voting by mail had be submitted in advance between the 5th of May and the 14th of September to any of diplomatic or consular missions of Latvia that organizes postal voting. 

Good to know

  1. Polling stations abroad are included into the Riga constituency, therefore voters abroad may vote for the lists of candidates registered in the Riga constituency.
  2. Voters usually residing abroad, but who will be in Latvia on the election day, may vote at any polling station in Latvia. However, it must be borne in mind that such opportunity may be used by the voters who have not applied for the voting by mail. When voters are applying for postal voting, a special mark is made in their passports to certify the participation in election, so these voters may not to vote twice.
  3. The document for voting at the Saeima election is a valid Latvian citizen’s passport. Voters who did not have the passport can participate in the 13th Saeima elections with a valid Latvian citizen’s electronic identity card (eID) which must be presented at the polling station along with the voter card. For safety reasons the voter cards will be issued only in Latvia during a period of two weeks prior to the elections between the 25th of September and the 6th of October 2018. The voter card can be received in that territorial section of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) where the electronic identity card of the voter was issued, or in another territorial section of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, if a voter have informed the OCMA about that wish in writing before the 25th of September 2018.

Requirements for observers and the accreditation procedure

  1. The course of elections, in accordance with the regulatory acts, may be observed by:
    1. observers authorized by political parties, their associations;
    2. Persons authorized by the Central Election Commission;
    3. persons authorized by a city or municipality election commission.
  2. For election or referendum observation political parties or their associations may authorize citizens and permanent residents of the Republic of Latvia who by the day of the election (referendum) reached the age of 18 years.
  3. To receive the authorization from the Central Election Commission to observe elections or referendum, the following persons can apply:
    1. citizens and permanent residents of the Republic of Latvia who have reached the age of 16 by election day and who have successfully completed the training course of the Central Election Commission for election observers;
    2. representatives of societies, foundations, educational institutions and such legal entities, whose main field of activity and purpose is to study political processes and elections;
    3. representatives of international organizations and other foreign institutions invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
    4. representatives of international organizations and other foreign institutions invited by the Central Election Commission.
  4. To receive the respective authorization, the persons named in paragraphs 3.2., 3.3. and 3.4. not later than two weeks before elections (referendum) shall submit an application.
  5. Applications are considered and the authorization is granted or denied by the Chairperson of the Central Election Commission.
  6. Representatives of societies, foundations, educational institutions and such legal entities, whose field of activity and purpose are related to the study of political processes and elections, may apply for the authorization to a city or municipality election commission to observe elections or referendums in the territory of the respective self-government. Applications are considered and the authorization is granted or denied by the chairperson of the city or municipality election commission.

Rights of observers

  1. Observers have the following rights:
    1. to observe the course of elections at a polling station;
    2. to monitor the voting at the place of location of those voters who cannot come to the polling station for health reasons ;
    3. to attend an open meeting of the polling station commission, at which the polling station commission is counting votes;
    4. to affix their own stamps or put their signatures on the packages, where electoral materials are packed after vote counting;
    5. to know the results of the vote counting immediately after the polling station commission approved them;
    6. to submit to the chairperson of the polling station election commission a complaint in writing or verbally about violations of the electoral law;
    7. to receive a reply from the chairperson of the polling station;
    8. to make sure that the complaint and this reply are registered in the journal of the voting process;
    9. if the chairperson of the polling station commission does not give a reply, to contact the higher election commission;
    10. to ask questions to the members of the polling station election commission and other observers, as well as to answer to questions about their activities, to ask questions to voters and answer to their questions (except the questions about whom they voted or plan to vote for);
    11. observers may choose any polling station for observation, except the observers mentioned in paragraph 3.1., who are observing at the polling station indicated by the CEC.

Obligations of observers, observation order

  1. The task of observers is to monitor the course of elections and vote counting in order to ascertain their compliance with the requirements of law. For this purpose observers are obliged to acquaint themselves with the statutory acts regulating the relevant processes.
  2. Observer should respect voters and their right to make free choice, moreover, the secrecy of the ballot and the right of the voter to privacy should be respected. Also, respect should be given to the members of the polling station election commission and their official duties.
  3. During the election observation, it is prohibited to influence the choice of voters, to express their own political views, and also to campaign.
  4. Observers should ensure that all observations that they carry out are accurate and true. Observations must be comprehensive, both positive and negative points should be noted, as well assessing should be made whether the observed fact has an influence on the legitimacy of the election. The judgments of observers should be based on accurate information, distinguishing subjective factors from objective evidence.
  5. Observers should monitor that the voting and actions of the precinct election commission comply with the electoral law and the instructions of the CEC – sealing the ballot box, checking documents at the entrance, registering voters at the tables and issuing of election materials, secrecy of voting, placing the envelopes into the ballot box, vote counting and others.
  6. Observers should be at such a distance from the members of the polling station election commission and voters that they do not create obstacles to voting and counting of votes. The recommended distance is not closer than at arm's length. Also, observers should not be in a place where they interfere with the flow of voters.
  7. Observers should not interfere with the polling station election commission and voters with loud conduct, and they must obey the instructions of the chairman of the polling station election commission to observe silence. Observers are allowed to speak quietly.
  8. It is advisable that the polling station election commission indicates seats to observers, but observers are not required be only on seating places.
  9. If an observer notices errors or irregularities in the work of the polling station election commission, it is the observer's duty to inform about it the chairman of the commission without delay. If the observation is justified, the chairman of the polling station election commission must immediately remove the error or irregularities.
  10. If the chairman of the commission does not take into account the observer's comments, the observer may submit a written complaint. The commission must reply to it in writing.
  11. If the explanation or the reply of the polling station election commission does not satisfy the observer, he (she) should inform the relevant municipal election commission about the observation. In the case of major irregularities, which may be grounds for raising doubts about the correctness of the election results, the Central Election Commission should be informed immediately.
  12. If an observer has evidence that such significant violations of the electoral process could have occurred, as for example vote buying or vote falsification, the observer should inform about it the chairman of the polling station election commission and report this case to the State Police or the Security Police.

Video recordings, photography at a polling station, at the place of voter's location

  1. At a polling station, observers who have the authority not only to observe the election process at the polling station, but also to make video recording and take photographs, in compliance with the principle of vote secrecy and after informing the chairman of the polling station election commission, can do it, if it does not interfere with the work of the polling station election commission.
  2. It is allowed to make video recording and take photographs of a polling station, members of the polling station election commission, as well as identifiable voters, if the voter's unambiguous consent to the processing of his/her personal data is received (the voter has allowed to take his/her photographs, to make video recording) or if at the polling station an indication is presented that issued by the empowered person or authorized observer, containing at least such information:
    1. data controller or processor,
    2. recipient of data, contact information,
    3. period for which the personal data is stored (no more than ten days after the first meeting of the newly elected Saeima or until the date of effect of the court decision on the appeal case),
    4. institution for filing a complaint (Data State Inspectorate).
  3. At the place where a voter is located, observers who monitor the voting at the place of residence of the voter and who are authorized to take photographs and make video recording, can do this only if the voter has been explained his/her rights and voter’s unambiguous agreement is obtained.
  4. Before taking photographs or making video recording at the place of residence of a voter, the observer informs the voter about:
    1. the goal, legal basis, data controller or processor,
    2. the recipient of the data and the use of the data obtained,
    3. the ability to withdraw their consent to the processing of data (erasure of data).
  5. In hospitals, care homes, social assistance centers taking photographs and making video recording of voting process and voters is prohibited.

List of normative acts: