The Saeima ¹ has adopted and
the President has proclaimed the following law:

Law on the Election of the Saeima

Chapter I
General Provisions

Section 1. Citizens of Latvia who have attained 18 years of age on the election day have the right to vote.

[6 February 2014]

Section 2. [6 February 2014]

Section 3. A person has the right to vote in any constituency.

Section 4. Any citizen of Latvia who is more than 21 years of age on the election day may be elected to the Saeima unless any of the restrictions referred to in Section 5 of this Law applies thereto.

Section 5. The following persons may not be nominated as candidates in the election of the Saeima and may not be elected to the Saeima:

1) upon whom the court has established trusteeship in accordance with the procedures laid down in law;

2) who are serving a sentence in places of deprivation of liberty;

3) who have been convicted of an intentional criminal offence, except for the persons who have been exonerated or whose criminal record has been extinguished or set aside;

4) who at the time of committing the offence provided for in the Criminal Law were in a state of mental incapacity, a state of diminished mental capacity, or also after committing a criminal offence have become ill with mental disorders which have deprived them of the capacity to understand their actions or to control them and to whom a compulsory measure of medical nature in relation thereto has been imposed which has not been revoked;

5) who are employees of the State security services, intelligence or counter-intelligence services of foreign countries or persons who have been in staff positions in the State security service, intelligence or counter-intelligence service of the USSR, the Latvian SSR, except for persons who have been only the employees of the planning and finance, administrative and economic departments of the Committee for State Security of the USSR or the Latvian SSR;

6) who after 13 January 1991 have worked in the CPSU (LCP), the International Front of the Working People of the Latvian SSR, the United Work Collective Council, the Organisation of War and Labour Veterans or the All-Latvia Salvation of Society Committee or its regional committees;

7) who have been punished with a prohibition to stand as a candidate in the Saeima, European Parliament, local government council elections, except for the persons who have been exonerated or whose criminal record has been extinguished or set aside.

[6 February 2014; 8 April 2021; 23 September 2021]

Section 6. (1) If the President, the Auditor General, a member of the Council of the State Audit Office, an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, a judge of the Constitutional Court, a prosecutor, a police officer, or a professional soldier has been nominated as a candidate for the member of the Saeima, they must resign from office (service) after the list of candidates for the members of the Saeima (hereinafter - the list of candidates) has been registered and must submit the documents which confirm this fact to the Central Election Commission within one month.

(2) If the elected member of the Saeima is a member of the European Parliament, he or she shall lose the status of a member of the European Parliament upon giving the solemn oath of a member of the Saeima. The Central Election Commission shall, within three working days, notify the European Parliament of losing the status of a member of the European Parliament.

(3) A councillor of a local government council may be nominated as a candidate for the member of the Saeima, but he or she shall lose the mandate of the councillor in the relevant council upon being elected to the Saeima.

(4) A judge who is not a Constitutional Court judge may be nominated as a candidate for the member of the Saeima, but he or she shall lose the position of the judge upon being elected to the Saeima.

[30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 31 May 2007; 26 February 2009; 31 March 2010; 3 March 2011; 8 April 2021]

Section 7. (1) Latvia is divided into five constituencies for the election of the Saeima:

1) Rīga;

2) Vidzeme;

3) Latgale;

4) Kurzeme;

5) Zemgale.

(2) The constituencies referred to in Paragraph one of this Section shall cover the following municipalities and State cities:

1) the constituency of Rīga - the State city of Rīga;

2) the constituency of Vidzeme - the municipalities of Ādaži, Alūksne, Cēsis, Gulbene, Ķekava, Limbaži, Madona, Mārupe, Ogre, Olaine, Ropaži, Salaspils, Saulkrasti, Sigulda, Smiltene, Valka, and Valmiera, and the State city of Jūrmala;

3) the constituency of Latgale - the municipalities of Augšdaugava, Balvi, Krāslava, Līvāni, Ludza, Preiļi, and Rēzekne, the State city of Daugavpils and the State city of Rēzekne;

4) the constituency of Kurzeme - the municipalities of Dienvidkurzeme, Kuldīga, Saldus, Talsi, and Ventspils, the State city of Liepāja and the State city of Ventspils;

5) the constituency of Zemgale - the municipalities of Aizkraukle, Bauska, Dobele, Jelgava, Jēkabpils, and Tukums, the State city of Jelgava.

[8 April 2021]

Section 8. (1) The Central Election Commission shall determine the number of members of the Saeima to be elected from each constituency in proportion to the number of voters in the constituency which is established four months before the election day according to the data of the Register of Natural Persons, but if the election of the Saeima takes place in the case provided for in Article 48 of the Constitution - on the day when the election is announced. Voters residing abroad shall be included in the number of voters of the constituency of Rīga.

(2) The number of members of the Saeima to be elected from each constituency shall be calculated as follows:

1) the total number of voters shall be divided by 100;

2) the number of voters in each constituency shall be divided by the outcome of the division specified in Paragraph two, Clause 1 of this Section. The whole numbers obtained in this way shall designate the number of the members of the Saeima to be elected from constituency;

3) if the sum of the whole numbers of the outcome specified in Paragraph two, Clause 2 of this Section is less than 100, the number of members of the Saeima to be elected shall be increased by one, first for the constituency where the result shows the largest fraction, afterwards for the constituency with the next largest fraction and so on until the sum of the whole numbers is 100;

4) if any two constituencies show an equal result in fractions, the number of members of the Saeima shall be first increased for the constituency where the whole number of the result of the division specified in Paragraph two, Clause 2 of this Section is the smallest;

5) if any two constituencies show an equal result both in fractions and whole numbers, lots shall be drawn to determine which constituency will have an increased number of members of the Saeima.

(3) The number of members of the Saeima to be elected from each constituency shall be published in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis not later than 100 days before the election day, but if the election of the Saeima takes place in the case provided for in Article 48 of the Constitution - not later than 50 days before the election day.

[26 March 1998; 6 February 2014; 23 September 2021]

Chapter II
Submission of Lists of Candidates

Section 9. (1) A list of candidates may be submitted by:

1) a political party registered in accordance with the procedures laid down in law which has been established not later than one year before the election of the Saeima and which has at least 500 members;

2) an alliance of political parties registered in accordance with the procedures laid down in law if all political parties belonging to the alliance of political parties have been established not later than one year before the election of the Saeima and if the alliance of political parties has at least 500 members.

(1¹) The number of members of a political party or an alliance of political parties shall be determined according to the latest register of party members submitted to the Party Register institution which has been submitted to the Party Register institution within the last 12 months prior to the day of submission of the list of candidates. The Central Election Commission shall obtain the information referred to in this Paragraph from the Party Register institution.

(2) The lists of candidates shall be submitted to the Central Election Commission within the time period and in accordance with the procedures stipulated thereby. The list of candidates shall be submitted by a person who has been authorised by the decision-making body of the relevant political party or alliance of political parties.

(3) The lists of candidates may be submitted starting from the eightieth day prior to the election day. The last day for the submission of the lists of candidates is the sixtieth day before the election day.

(4) If the election of the Saeima takes place in the case provided for in Article 48 of the Constitution, the lists of candidates may be submitted starting from the fiftieth day before the election day and the last day for the submission of the lists of candidates shall be the thirtieth day before the election day.

[26 March 1998, 30 May 2002; 26 February 2009; 3 March 2016]

Section 10. (1) The given name, surname, and personal identity number of each candidate shall be indicated in the list of candidates.

(2) The number of candidates nominated in the list may exceed the number of members of the Saeima to be elected in the relevant constituency by three candidates.

(3) The same candidate may be nominated only to the list of candidates bearing one name in one constituency. If any candidate is nominated in the lists of candidates bearing different names or in a list of candidates bearing one name in various constituencies, his or her nomination shall be deleted from all the lists of candidates.

(4) The name of the list of candidates shall correspond to:

1) the name of the relevant political party if the list of candidates is submitted by a political party;

2) the name of the relevant alliance of political parties if the list of candidates is submitted by an alliance of political parties;

3) [26 March 1998].

(5) The list of candidates shall be signed by a person authorised by the decision-making body of the relevant political party or alliance of political parties. The list of candidates and the documents to be appended thereto (Section 11) shall be prepared by using the application software of the Central Election Commission. The list of candidates, the data on candidates, and the pre-election programme shall be submitted in writing and electronically.

[26 March 1998; 30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 26 February 2009; 31 March 2010]

Section 11. The following documents shall be appended to the list of candidates:

1) a statement signed by each candidate included in the list that he or she agrees to stand as a candidate and agrees to the processing of his or her personal data which is to be carried out in accordance with the requirements of this Law;

2) a pre-election programme signed by all the candidates included in the list the size of which may not exceed 4000 characters;

3) a declaration signed by every candidate included in the list that he or she conforms to the requirements of Section 4 of this Law and the restrictions referred to in Section 5 of this Law do not apply to him or her;

3¹) a confirmation signed by each candidate included in the list that he or she has knowledge of the official language to the extent necessary for the performance of professional duties;

4) the following information signed by each candidate included in the list:

a) given name, surname, year of birth, gender of the candidate, and, if the candidate wishes - also nationality, family status;

b) personal identity number;

c) foreign citizenship (nationality), if any;

d) place of residence (administrative territory of a local government);

e) places of employment and positions held (including positions in political parties, religious organisations, trade unions, associations, and foundations) or - if there is no place of employment - occupation, status;

f) which educational institutions he or she has graduated and in which year, what level of education and in what speciality has been acquired;

g) [6 February 2014];

h) whether he or she has or has not collaborated with the State security services, intelligence or counter-intelligence services of the USSR or Latvian SSR as a non-staff employee of these services, an agent, a resident, or a safehouse keeper;

i) information indicated in Section 24, Paragraph one, Clauses 4, 5, 5.¹, 6, 7, 10, and 11 of the law On Prevention of Conflict of Interest in Activities of Public Officials according to the status as on 1 January of the year of the submission of the election list. Candidates who have submitted the declaration of a public official in the year of the submission of the election list may use in the application software of the Central Election Commission the information on themselves available from the information systems of the State Revenue Service. The State Revenue Service shall ensure the availability of the information referred to in the first sentence of this Sub-clause in the application software of the Central Election Commission from the information systems of the State Revenue Service.

j) [9 March 2006];

5) [9 May 2002].

[26 March 1998; 9 May 2002; 30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 31 May 2007; 26 February 2009; 12 September 2013; 6 February 2014; 18 January 2018; 8 April 2021]

Section 12. (1) The Central Election Commission shall register only such lists of candidates the submitters of which have paid the security deposit of EUR 1400 in the deposit of the Central Election Commission.

(2) The payer of the security deposit shall indicate in the payment order by whom the security deposit has been made, the time when the security deposit was made, and the name of the list of candidates for which the deposit has been made.

(3) The security deposit paid shall confer the right to submit the lists of candidates bearing the same name for all constituencies and it shall be returned to the payer if the list of candidates bearing such name has received at least two or more per cent from the number of valid votes cast.

(4) The security deposit paid for the list of candidates bearing such name which has received less than two per cent of the number of valid votes cast shall be transferred by the Central Election Commission to the State budget.

[30 May 2002; 12 September 2013; 6 February 2014; 18 January 2018]

Section 13. (1) The lists of candidates that have been submitted in accordance with the requirements of this Law are registered in the Central Election Commission.

(2) Registered lists of candidates cannot be withdrawn and only the Central Election Commission may make amendments to them in one of the following ways:

1) by deleting the nominated candidate if it is determined that:

a) the person does not have the right to stand as a candidate in the election of the Saeima;

b) the candidate is a person who has not resigned from his or her office (service) in accordance with the procedures laid down in Section 6, Paragraph one of this Law;

c) the same person has been nominated on the lists of candidates bearing different names or on the list of candidates bearing the same name in several constituencies (Section 10, Paragraph three);

d) the candidate has died;

2) by making corrections of a technical nature.

(3) In the cases referred to in Paragraph two, Clause 1, Sub-clauses "a" and "d" of this Section, the candidate shall be deleted on the basis of a notice issued by the relevant institution or of a court judgment. The fact that the candidate:

1) is not a citizen of Latvia or is a citizen of Latvia who has not attained 21 years of age on the election day - shall be certified by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs;

2) is serving a sentence in a place of deprivation of liberty - shall be certified by the Information Centre of the Ministry of the Interior;

3) has been convicted of an intentional criminal offence and his or her criminal record has been extinguished or set aside - shall be certified by the Information Centre of the Ministry of the Interior;

4) at the time of committing the offence provided for in the Criminal Law was in a state of mental incapacity, a state of diminished mental capacity, or also after committing a criminal offence has become ill with mental disorders which have deprived him or her of the capacity to understand his or her actions or to control them and to whom a compulsory measure of medical nature in relation thereto has been imposed which has not been revoked - shall be certified by the Information Centre of the Ministry of the Interior;

5) is or has been in a staff position in the State security services, intelligence or counter-intelligence services of the USSR, the Latvian SSR or of foreign countries - shall be certified by the judgment of the relevant court;

6) after 13 January 1991 has worked in the CPSU (LCP), the International Front of the Working People of the Latvian SSR, the United Work Collective Council, the Organisation of War and Labour Veterans or the All-Latvia Salvation of Society Committee or its regional committees - shall be certified by the judgment of the relevant court;

7) [9 May 2002];

8) has died - shall be confirmed by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs;

9) according to a court judgment is not entitled to stand as a candidate in the Saeima, European Parliament, local government council elections - shall be certified by the Information Centre of the Ministry of the Interior.

(4) The relevant information shall be submitted by the institutions referred to in Paragraph three of this Section in writing to the Central Election Commission upon request thereof free of charge within five days.

(5) If information that a nominated candidate does not have the right to stand as a candidate in the election of the Saeima is received by the Central Election Commission later than on the 50th day before the elections and it is impossible to produce new ballot papers of the relevant list of candidates, voters shall be issued with ballot papers of the relevant list of candidates with the given name and surname of this candidate. In counting the votes and calculating the election results, the votes cast for the relevant person are not taken into account.

[26 March 1998; 9 May 2002; 30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 26 February 2009; 31 March 2010; 18 January 2018; 8 April 2021; 23 September 2021]

Section 13.¹ (1) The decision of the Central Election Commission to register the list of candidates or to refuse to register the list of candidates, and also to delete a nominated candidate from a registered list of candidates may be appealed in a court within three working days from the day of taking the abovementioned decision.

(2) In order to enforce the court judgment by which the decision referred to in Paragraph one of this Section is repealed, the Central Election Commission shall either register or delete the relevant list of candidates or shall either restore the nominated candidate on the registered list of candidates or delete it from it.

[9 March 2006]

Section 14. (1) The Central Election Commission shall assign numbers to the lists of candidates by first choosing the numbers by lot for those lists of candidates which are registered for all five constituencies, afterwards for those which are registered for four constituencies, and so on. Choosing by lot is done in each of the aforementioned groups in the sequence of registration of the lists of candidates. The lists of candidates bearing the same name shall have the same number in all constituencies.

(2) The Central Election Commission shall ensure the printing of the lists of candidates on separate forms - ballot papers - and the conveyance thereof to polling station commissions.

(3) The following information shall be indicated on the ballot paper:

1) the constituency;

2) the number of the list of candidates;

3) the name of the list of candidates;

4) the given name and surname of the nominated candidates.

(4) Opposite the surname of each candidate on the ballot paper there is a space for the voter to make a mark.

(5) The Central Election Commission shall ensure that ballot envelopes are made and delivered to polling station commissions.

(6) The name of the election and the number of the convocation of the Saeima to be elected shall be indicated on the ballot envelope.

[9 March 2006]

Section 15. The Central Election Commission shall ensure that the following is published in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis not later than 20 days, but if the election of the Saeima takes place in the case referred to in Article 48 of the Constitution - not later than 10 days before the election day:

1) the pre-election programmes;

2) all the lists of candidates, indicating the information on each candidate referred to in this Law, except for the personal identity number of the candidate;

3) the information referred to in Section 11, Clause 4, Sub-clause "a" and Sub-clauses "c"-"i" of this Law on each candidate;

4) the given names and surnames of the candidates in respect of whom the Centre for the Documentation of the Consequences of Totalitarianism has information stating that at its disposal, in the State Archives or other national depositories there are documents certifying the fact that these candidates could have collaborated with the State security services, intelligence or counter-intelligence services of the USSR, the Latvian SSR or of foreign countries as non-staff employees of these services, agents, residents, or safehouse keepers.

[26 March 1998; 9 May 2002; 30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 31 March 2010; 6 February 2014]

Chapter III
Election Procedure

Section 16. (1) At least five days before the election day, each polling station shall:

1) display announcements about the lists of nominated candidates and the pre-election programmes in a place visible for the voters;

2) make available the information on each candidate referred to in this Law, except for the personal identity number of the candidate.

(2) The local government election commissions shall determine the polling stations where it is possible to cast a vote for depositing thereof. The local government election commissions shall, not later than 15 days before the election day, announce the addresses and the opening and closing time of the polling stations.

(3) The ballot papers, envelopes, lists of participating voters, ballot boxes, and other election materials starting from the receipt thereof at the polling station until the transfer thereof to the local government election commission shall be kept in the building where the polling station is located in accordance with the procedures stipulated by the Central Election Commission, ensuring the physical and technical security guard of the relevant premises.

[26 March 1998; 9 May 2002; 30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 26 February 2009; 13 December 2012; 6 February 2014; 8 April 2021; 23 September 2021]

Section 17. Elections shall be held from 7.00 in the morning to 8.00 in the evening, local time, on the first Saturday of October. If in case of the dissolution of the Saeima the election of the Saeima takes place another time of the year, the election day shall be determined by the Central Election Commission.

[4 September 2003; 31 March 2010]

Section 18. (1) At 7.00 in the morning a chairperson of the polling station commission or the secretary shall, in the presence of the commission, ascertain that the ballot boxes, allotted for depositing ballot papers, are empty. After this the opening part of the box shall be sealed.

(2) Without interfering with the work of the commission, the election procedure may be concurrently observed by not more than two authorised observers from each political party or alliance of political parties that has submitted the list of candidates for the respective constituency, and also by the members of the Central Election Commission, members of the relevant local government election commission, and persons authorised by these commissions, mass media representatives. A candidate may not act as an authorised observer.

[30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 26 February 2009; 6 February 2014; 8 April 2021]

Section 19. (1) During the election, the chairperson of the polling station commission shall ensure the order in the polling premises. He or she shall ascertain that restrictions of election freedoms, including the delay of exercising the election rights, disturbances to order and campaigning, do not occur in the polling premises and closer than 50 metres from the entrance to the building where the polling station is located.

(2) The chairperson of the polling station commission shall be responsible for the supervision and keeping of election documents, materials, and property given to the relevant polling station commission.

(3) Upon establishing indications of the possible existence of the infringements referred to in Paragraph one of this Section, the chairperson of the polling station commission shall immediately notify the competent authority thereof.

[30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 18 January 2018]

Section 20. (1) A voter shall present a personal identification document valid in the Republic of Latvia to the polling station commission.

(2) [26 March 1998]

[26 March 1998; 23 September 2021]

Section 21. Except for the cases provided for in Section 25 of this Law, a voter may only vote in person.

Section 22. (1) Voting in the elections shall be by secret ballot.

(2) The ballot papers of all the lists of candidates nominated in the constituency and a ballot envelope which is sealed with a seal of the relevant polling station commission shall be issued by the polling station commission to each voter. The voter shall place in this envelope the ballot paper that conforms to the list of candidates for which he or she votes. Each voter may vote only once.

(3) Inside the polling premises, a member of the polling station commission (hereinafter - the polling station commission), having ascertained in the electoral register online that the person is a voter and that there is no notation in the electoral register on the participation of this person in the relevant election of the Saeima, shall make a notation in the electoral register online on the participation in the relevant election of the Saeima and enter the given name, surname, and personal identity number of the voter in the list of participating voters. The voter shall sign the list of participating voters confirming the receipt of a complete set of ballot papers containing the lists of candidates nominated for the constituency and the ballot envelope.

(3¹) If there is a notation in the electoral register on the participation of the voter in the elections, however, he or she denies that, the polling station commission shall contact the polling station commission in which the voter, according to the information in the electoral register, has voted and shall clarify whether there is the signature of the voter in the list of participating voters of the polling station. If the absence of the signature is confirmed, the voter may vote. If the presence of the signature is confirmed, the voter shall be refused voting.

(4) Members of the election commissions are prohibited from campaigning for or against candidates or the lists of candidates.

[26 March 1998; 30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 18 January 2018; 23 September 2021]

Section 23. (1) A separate room or booth shall be installed in the polling premises where the voter alone shall place in the ballot envelope one ballot paper in the ballot envelope and seal the envelope.

(2) On the ballot paper opposite the surnames of the candidates the voter may, at his or her discretion, make a "+" mark, not make a mark, or strike out the given name or surname of the candidate.

(3) A voter shall make a "+" mark opposite the surname of a candidate if he or she especially supports the election of such a candidate. If the voter does not support any of the candidates included in the ballot paper, he or she shall strike out the given name or surname of such candidate. A voter may also place an unchanged ballot paper (without marks) into the ballot envelope.

(4) A voter shall insert the sealed ballot envelope into the sealed ballot box in the presence of a member of the election commission.

(5) If prior to inserting the ballot paper into the envelope and sealing thereof has damaged the ballot envelope, a new ballot envelope is issued to the voter. The voter shall sign the list of participating voters for the receipt of a replacement ballot envelope, and a special entry to this effect shall be made in the election procedure log.

[26 March 1998; 30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 6 February 2014; 18 January 2018]

Section 24. (1) On the basis of a written submission from a voter, his or her authorised person, or trustee which has been registered in the election procedure log, the polling station commission, upon ensuring secret ballot, shall organise voting at the location of the voter for:

1) voters who are unable to come to the polling premises due to their state of health and for carers of such voters;

2) carers of persons who are ill.

Observers authorised for this purpose are entitled to observe such voting.

(2) [6 February 2014]

(3) Voting of other voters outside the polling premises is not permissible.

(4) On the election day the polling station commission shall continue to accept written submissions regarding voting at the location of voters. Submissions accepted after 12.00 noon shall be satisfied by the polling station commission if it is possible to arrive at the location of voters until 8.00 in the evening.

(5) Voters who in accordance with Paragraphs one and two of this Section vote at their location are entered in a separate list of participating voters for voting at the location of the voter and the sealed ballot envelopes are inserted in a separate sealed box.

(6) Information on the ballot envelopes issued for voting at the location of voters and spare ballot envelopes, including damaged ballot envelopes, shall be entered in the election procedure log.

(6¹) The polling station shall be contacted if it is not possible to ascertain at the location of a voter that the information on the person is included in the electoral register and that there is no notation on the participation of this person in the relevant election. If it is not possible, the voting shall take place by using a registration envelope in accordance with the procedures laid down in Section 48.² of this Law.

(7) [26 February 2009]

[30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 26 February 2009; 6 February 2014; 18 January 2018; 23 September 2021]

Section 25. If a voter cannot vote or sign the list of participating voters himself or herself due to a physical disability, marks on the ballot paper shall be made or the list of participating voters shall be signed by either a family member of the voter or another person whom the voter trusts in the presence of the voter and according to his or her instructions. A relevant notation thereon shall be made in the list of participating voters. Such person may not be a member of the relevant polling station commission.

[26 March 1998; 9 March 2006]

Section 26. (1) On the election day, the employer has an obligation to release an employee from the performance of work duties for the time period required for voting.

(2) On the election day, soldiers shall be released from service duties for the time period required for voting.

[9 March 2006]

Section 27. (1) On the election day after 8.00 in the evening, ballot papers may be placed only by those voters who had arrived in the polling premises before 8.00 in the evening. After that, the polling premises shall be closed.

(2) [26 March 1998]

(3) [26 March 1998]

[26 March 1998; 6 April 2006; 31 March 2010]

Section 28. (1) Starting with the opening of a polling station, the secretary of the polling station commission or - in his or her absence - another member of the commission authorised by the chairperson of the polling station commission shall write up the election procedure log in accordance with the procedures specified by the Central Electoral Commission by using the application software of the Central Election Commission.

(2) Voters shall submit complaints regarding the election procedures to the chairperson of the polling station commission immediately and they are registered in the election procedure log. Any complaint regarding the election procedures shall be examined and a reply shall be given to the submitter of the complaint, but the content thereof shall be recorded in the election procedure log.

[30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 6 February 2014; 18 January 2018]

Chapter IV
Counting of Votes and Calculation of Election Results

Section 29. (1) The counting of votes shall commence immediately after the closing of the polling station. Counting is done by the polling station commission in an open meeting.

(2) Without interfering with the work of the commission, the meeting may be concurrently attended by no more than two authorised observers from each political party or alliance of political parties that has submitted a list of candidates for the respective constituency, and also members of the Central Election Commission, the relevant local government election commission and persons authorised by these commissions, mass media representatives.

[30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 26 February 2009; 18 January 2018; 8 April 2021]

Section 30. Immediately after closing the polling station, the polling station commission shall seal the ballot boxes, close the list of participating voters, and prepare the premises for the counting of votes. Election materials not used in voting shall be packed in accordance with the procedures specified by the Central European Commission or placed in a manner that does not hinder the counting of votes.

[30 May 2002]

Section 31. (1) The polling station commission shall record the data obtained while counting the votes in the election procedure log. The polling station commission shall prepare a vote counting report regarding the counting of votes which shall consist of two parts. Information from the election procedure log on the number of votes received by each list of candidates shall be entered in the first part of the vote counting report. Information from the election procedure log on the number of votes received by each candidate shall be entered in the second part of the vote counting report.

(2) Prior to the opening of ballot boxes, the polling station commission shall enter in the election procedure log information on the received, used, and spare ballot envelopes, the number of voters at the polling station and at the location of voters. Sealed ballot envelopes which have not been used in voting shall be cancelled.

(3) The ballot boxes shall be opened after entering the information referred to in Paragraph two of this Section in the election procedure log and the packaging of materials and ballot envelopes not usable in the counting of votes. The ballot boxes shall be opened one by one and the ballot envelopes shall be counted.

(4) Ballot envelopes taken out of each ballot box, without opening them, shall be sorted into valid and invalid ballot envelopes.

(5) The ballot envelopes shall be deemed invalid if they are torn, if they do not bear a stamp of the relevant polling station commission, and also if they do not bear the name of the relevant election and the number of the convocation of the Saeima to be elected.

(6) Invalid ballot envelopes shall be counted and packaged unopened, specifying that the pack contains invalid ballot envelopes and the number thereof. The total number of invalid ballot envelopes shall be entered in the election procedure log.

(7) The number of valid ballot envelopes removed from each ballot box must be equal to or less than the number of voters entered in the relevant list of participating voters.

(7¹) If the number of valid ballot envelopes in any ballot box exceeds the number of voters entered in the relevant list of participating voters, the ballot station commission shall make an entry in the election procedure log and shall immediately notify the relevant local government election commission thereof. Further counting of votes and all other activities in respect of the content of such ballot box shall be performed separately, preparing a special vote counting report. The addition of the content of such box to the total results shall be decided by the Central Election Commission.

(8) If a ballot box contains ballot papers which are not inserted in ballot envelopes, they shall be cancelled and packaged in accordance with the procedures specified by the Central Election Commission.

[30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 6 February 2014; 18 January 2018; 8 April 2021]

Section 32. (1) Subsequent to the counting of the valid ballot envelopes, they shall be opened and their content shall be concurrently determined:

1) the envelope contains one ballot paper of the relevant constituency;

2) the envelope contains more than one ballot paper;

3) the envelope contains a ballot paper of another constituency;

4) the envelope contains a torn ballot paper;

5) there is no ballot paper in the envelope.

(2) Envelopes which contained one ballot paper of the relevant constituency do not have to be kept after ballot papers are taken out. Ballot papers from these envelopes shall be placed together for counting.

(3) Empty ballot envelopes, and also the ballot envelopes which contained more than one ballot paper or a torn ballot paper, or a ballot paper of another constituency shall, together with their contents, be placed separately.

[30 May 2002]

Section 33. (1) When all the valid ballot envelopes are opened, the polling station commission shall decide on the validity of those ballot papers which were in the ballot envelopes with several ballot papers, torn ballot papers, and ballot papers of another constituency.

(2) If a ballot envelope contains several absolutely identical ballot papers, one of them shall be deemed to be valid and added to the valid ballot papers for counting, but others shall be deemed to be invalid.

(3) Envelopes containing torn ballot papers as well as empty ballot envelopes shall be deemed to be ballot envelopes without valid ballot papers.

(4) If a ballot envelope contains more than one ballot paper and these ballot papers are not identical as concerns their content (also as concerns the marks made), it shall be deemed to be an envelope without a valid ballot paper.

(5) The polling station commission shall resolve the differences of opinion regarding the validity of ballot papers by majority vote. In the event of a tied vote, the chairperson of the commission shall cast the deciding vote.

(6) The valid ballot papers shall be grouped according to the names of the lists of candidates. Afterwards the votes cast for each list of candidates shall be counted.

(7) After the votes cast for each list of candidates have been counted, the polling station commission shall, in accordance with the procedures specified by the Central Election Commission, immediately announce the number of votes cast for each list of candidates.

[30 May 2002]

Section 34. [6 February 2014]

Section 35. (1) The polling station commission shall count the number of marks made by the voters for each candidate in accordance with the procedures specified by the Central Election Commission. It shall be counted in respect of each candidate in how many ballot papers voters have made a "+" mark opposite the surname of a candidate and in how many ballot papers voters have struck out the given name or surname of a candidate.

(2) The polling station commission shall enter the number of marks received by each candidate in the election procedure log. After completion of the counting of votes it shall prepare the second part of the vote counting report.

(3) After approval of the results of the counting of votes, the polling station commission shall report them to the authorised observers present and media representatives.

[30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 6 February 2014; 18 January 2018]

Section 35.¹ (1) The submitter of the list of candidates and the nominated candidate have the right to become acquainted with the vote counting report and to contest the report to the Central Election Commission within three working days after the decision to approve the results of the report has been taken. The Central Election Commission shall examine the submission and take a decision within three working days.

(2) A decision of the Central Election Commission on the contested vote counting report of the polling station commission may be appealed to the court within three working days after the day of taking thereof.

[9 March 2006; 18 January 2018; 23 May 2019]

Section 36. After the counting of votes and the completion of the vote counting report, all valid and invalid ballot papers together with ballot envelopes, unused sealed and invalid ballot envelopes and one copy of the vote counting report of the polling station commission shall be packaged and sealed. The authorised observers present also have the right to affix their own stamps or put their signatures on the package if no ballot boxes and numbered seals are used for sealing. A reference thereto shall be made in the election procedure log. Afterwards the polling station commission shall send the election materials to the Central Election Commission in accordance with the procedures specified by the Central Election Commission.

[30 May 2002; 9 March 2006; 26 February 2009; 6 February 2014; 18 January 2018]

Section 37. [26 February 2009 / Amendment regarding the deletion of the Section shall come into force on 1 July 2009. See Transitional Provision]

Section 38. (1) The members of the Saeima elected in constituencies shall be determined by the Central Election Commission. The lists of candidates bearing the same name which have received less than five per cent of the total number of votes cast in the entire Latvia, regardless of the number of constituencies for which these lists of candidates have been nominated, shall be excluded from the distribution of seats in the Saeima. The number of valid ballot envelopes shall be deemed to be the total number of votes cast (the total number of voters participating in the election).

(2) In order to distribute the number of seats in the Saeima between the other lists of candidates nominated in the constituency, the following procedures shall be applied:

1) the number of valid ballot papers cast for each list of candidates shall be determined in each constituency;

2) the number of ballot papers cast for each list of candidates shall be then sequentially divided by 1, 3, 5, 7 and so on until the number of divisions is the same as the number of candidates nominated in the list of candidates;

3) all the acquired divisions regarding all the lists of candidates of one constituency shall be numbered in common descending order;

4) seats of the members of the Saeima shall sequentially be received by those lists of candidates of the constituency which conform to the largest divisions. If the division the sequence number of which is equal to the number of the members of the Saeima to be elected from the constituency is equal to one or several subsequent divisions, a seat of the member of the Saeima shall be received by the list of candidates which has acquired more votes. If such lists of candidates have been registered only in one constituency, a seat of the member of the Saeima shall be received by the list of candidates that has been registered first.

[26 March 1998; 27 May 1998]

Section 39. In each list of candidates, the nominated candidates shall be listed according to the number of votes received. The number of votes cast for a candidate shall be equal to the number of votes which were cast for the list of candidates in which this candidate was included, minus the number of ballot papers in which the given name or surname of this candidate was struck out, plus the number of those ballot papers in which voters made a "+" mark opposite the surname of this candidate. If two or more candidates of the same list of candidates have received an equal number of votes, they shall be mutually listed according to the sequence provided for by the submitters of the list of candidates. Those candidates who have received the largest number of votes shall be elected, but the remainder shall be recorded as candidates in such order as they were listed according to the number of votes which were received by them.

Section 40. [31 March 2010]

Section 41. If the elected member of the Saeima has died, resigned or has lost or laid down his or her mandate due to other reasons, the next candidate from the same list of candidates from which the previous member was elected shall come in his or her place.

Section 42. If due to the reasons provided for in Section 41 of this Law, a list of candidates has insufficient candidates, the procedures laid down in Section 38 of this Law shall be used to decide from which list of candidates the next member of the Saeima shall be selected.

Chapter V
Participation in the Election of the Saeima of such Citizens of Latvia who at the Election Time Reside in a Foreign Country, are on Duty in Official International Operations or who are Subject to Arrest as the Security Measure, or who are Serving a Sentence Related to Deprivation of Liberty

[6 February 2014]

Section 43. (1) Upon a proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central Election Commission shall establish polling stations in foreign countries in diplomatic or consular missions of the Republic of Latvia.

(2) Upon consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central Election Commission may also establish polling stations in other premises suitable for this purpose.

(3) Voters who at the election time reside in a foreign country may vote on the election day in person at any of the established polling stations or by post in accordance with the procedures laid down in this Law.

(4) The Central Election Commission may establish election commissions and polling stations on ships sailing under the flag of Latvia and registered in the Republic of Latvia.

(5) Voting in foreign countries and on ships shall be organised if it is possible to ensure compliance with the provisions of this Law.

[9 March 2006]

Section 44. (1) Voters casting their votes in polling stations which have been established in foreign countries or on ships shall receive ballot papers containing the lists of candidates nominated for the constituency of Rīga and their votes shall be added to the other votes cast in the constituency of Rīga.

(2) Voting in polling stations established in foreign countries shall take place in accordance with the procedures laid down in Chapter III of this Law (except for Section 24).

[27 May 1998; 30 May 2002]

Section 45. (1) A voter who wishes to vote by post shall submit a submission for postal voting to the relevant diplomatic or consular mission of the Republic of Latvia on site, by post, or electronically. The voter shall indicate in the submission his or her given name, surname, personal identity number, and electronic mail address or official electronic address. The voter may apply for postal voting 70 days before the election day but not later than three weeks before the election day. If the election takes place in the case provided for in Article 48 of the Constitution, a voter may apply for postal voting one week after the day when the election is announced, but not later than two weeks before the election day.

(2) Upon receipt of such submission, the polling station commission shall, following commencement of activity of the electoral register:

1) verify in the electoral register whether the submitter is a voter who has not been registered yet for postal voting;

2) make a notation in the electoral register on the application of a voter for postal voting and enter the electronic mail address or official electronic address indicated by the voter;

3) register the voter in the voter list for postal voting.

(3) If the submission for postal voting has been submitted without complying with the procedures laid down in Paragraph one of this Section or if the submitter is not a voter, or the submitter has already been registered for postal voting by indicating the same electronic mail address or official electronic address, the polling station commission shall refuse to send election documents by a reasoned decision. The appeal of the decision to decline the delivery of the election materials shall not suspend its operation.

(4) A voter who has been registered for postal voting may change the indicated electronic mail address or official electronic address not later than three weeks before the election day by submitting a submission thereon to the relevant diplomatic or consular mission of the Republic of Latvia in accordance with the procedures laid down in Paragraph one of this Section. If the election takes place in the case provided for in Article 48 of the Constitution, the voter may change the indicated electronic mail address or official electronic address not later than two weeks before the election day.

(5) The polling station commission shall, not later than 15 days before the election day (if the election takes place in the case provided for in Article 48 of the Constitution - not later than 10 days before the election day), send the website address where voting materials are available to the voter to the electronic mail address or official electronic address indicated in the submission.

(6) Application for postal voting shall also be possible by using the free electronic service available on the service portal of the State administration www.latvija.lv or on the official website of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs 35 days before the election day but not later than three weeks before the election day (if the election takes place in the case provided for in Article 48 of the Constitution - not later than two weeks before the election day). When applying in such manner, the voter shall, in addition to the information referred to in Paragraph one of this Section, also indicate the foreign country from which he or she intends to send his or her vote. In respect of the applications received in the electronic service, the activities referred to in Paragraphs two, three, and five of this Section shall be performed by the Central Election Commission. The Central Election Commission shall send to the relevant polling station commissions the information on voters who have applied for postal voting in the electronic service. The polling station commissions shall supplement their voter list for postal voting accordingly.

(7) If a voter who has applied for postal voting arrives at a polling station on the election day, he or she may vote at the polling station.

[23 September 2021]

Section 45.¹ (1) Voters who are subject to arrest as the security measure or who are serving a sentence related to deprivation of liberty may participate in the election at the place of imprisonment.

(2) A voter who wants to vote at the place of imprisonment shall submit a submission to the administration of the place of imprisonment, indicating his or her given name, surname, and personal identity number. Application for voting may be made not later than on the second day before the election day.

(3) The administration of the place of imprisonment shall verify whether the person who wishes to vote at the place of imprisonment is a citizen of Latvia who will have attained 18 years of age on the election day and shall register the submission in the list for voting at the place of imprisonment.

(4) On the day before the election day, the administration of the place of imprisonment shall deliver the list referred to in Paragraph three of this Section to the relevant polling station commission.

(5) On the election day, after the ballot station has been opened and ballot boxes have been sealed, the polling station commission shall deliver the forms for the list of participating voters, the ballot papers of all the lists of candidates nominated in the relevant constituency, ballot envelopes bearing a stamp of the relevant polling station commission, and a sealed ballot box to the administration of the place of imprisonment. The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs shall ensure that the administration of a prison has access to the electoral register online.

[26 February 2009; 23 September 2021]

Section 45.² (1) The administration of a prison shall enter the given name, surname, personal identity number of a voter in the list of participating voters and make a notation in the electoral register online on the participation in the relevant election of the Saeima. The voter shall sign the list of participating voters confirming the receipt of a complete set of ballot papers containing the lists of candidates nominated for the relevant constituency and the ballot envelope.

(2) A voter shall select a ballot paper corresponding to the list of candidates for which he or she shall vote, if he or she so wishes, shall make the marks referred to in Section 23 of this Law and shall place the ballot paper in the ballot envelope and seal the envelope. The voter shall insert the sealed ballot envelope into the ballot box.

(3) The administration of the place of imprisonment is prohibited from campaigning for or against candidates or lists of candidates.

(4) When the voting is over, the administration of the place of imprisonment shall immediately deliver the lists of participating voters, unused ballot envelopes, and the ballot box to the relevant polling station.

[26 February 2009; 23 September 2021]

Section 45.³ (1) Soldiers and national guardsmen who are performing service duties in international operations may take part in the election in the region of the relevant international operation if it is possible to ensure conformity with the conditions of this Law.

(2) The Central Election Commission shall, not later than four weeks before the election day, hand over the seal of the polling station commission, voter recording devices, registration envelopes, safety seals, forms for the lists of participating voters, ballot papers of all the lists of candidates nominated in the constituency of Rīga, ballot envelopes, and the ballot box to the National Armed Forces for transfer to a person authorised by the Commander of the National Armed Forces.

(3) On the election day, before voting starts, the person authorised by the Commander of the National Armed Forces shall, in the presence of the first voter, ascertain whether the ballot box is empty and shall seal it. The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs shall ensure that the person authorised by the Commander of the National Armed Forces has access to the electoral register online. The person authorised by the Commander of the National Armed Forces, having previously ascertained online that the person is a voter and that there is no notation in the electoral register on the participation of this person in the relevant election of the Saeima, shall make a notation in the electoral register online on the participation in the relevant election of the Saeima and enter the given name, surname, and personal identity number of the voter in the list of participating voters. If there is a notation in the electoral register on the participation of the voter in the election but he or she denies that, the person authorised by the Commander of the National Armed Forces shall act in accordance with the procedures laid down in Section 48.¹, Paragraph 2.¹ of this Law. The person authorised by the Commander of the National Armed Forces shall issue to each voter the ballot papers of all the lists of candidates nominated in the constituency of Rīga and the ballot envelope bearing the seal of the relevant polling station commission and the voter shall sign the list of participating voters, thus confirming this fact. The issuing of separate ballot papers is prohibited. Voting shall be organised in the presence of at least three voters. In the case of disruption to activity of the electoral register online,the person authorised by the Commander of the National Armed Forces shall act in accordance with the procedures laid down in Section 48.² of this Law.

(4) Voting in the elections shall be by secret ballot. A separate booth shall be set up for voting in accordance with Section 23, Paragraph one of this Law.

(5) A voter shall select a ballot paper corresponding to the list of candidates for which he or she shall vote, if he or she so wishes, shall make the marks referred to in Section 23, Paragraphs two and three of this Law therein and shall place the ballot paper in the ballot envelope and seal the envelope. The voter shall insert the sealed ballot envelope into the sealed ballot box.

(6) The counting of votes shall be performed in accordance with the procedures specified by the Central Election Commission. A commission for the counting of votes in the composition of not less than three persons shall be set up for the counting of votes.

(7) After counting of votes and completion of the vote counting report, voter recording devices, registration envelopes, lists of participating voters, all valid ballot papers, invalid ballot papers together with the relevant ballot envelopes, unused and invalid ballot envelopes, election procedure log, and vote counting report shall be packed, sealed, and delivered immediately to the Joint Headquarters of the National Armed Forces for the transfer thereof to the Central Election Commission.

(8) The election procedure in the region of the international operation shall be supervised by the authorised person of the Commander of the National Armed Forces.

(9) A soldier and national guardsman who wish to vote by post shall do so in accordance with the procedures laid down in Section 45 of this Law.

[6 February 2014; 18 January 2018; 23 September 2021]

Section 46. (1) A voter who has received the website address for postal voting shall print out the voting materials and select the ballot paper which corresponds to the list of candidates for which he or she shall vote, if he or she so wishes, he or she shall make the marks referred to in Section 23 of this Law and shall place the ballot paper in the ballot envelope and seal the envelope.

(2) The voter shall insert the sealed ballot envelope into a postal envelope together with the signed form in which he or she confirms that he or she is voting in person and indicates his or her given name, surname, and personal identity number. The voter shall mark on the postal envelope that it contains a ballot envelope and shall indicate his or her given name, surname, and sequence number in the voter list for postal voting. The voter shall immediately send the postal envelope to the polling station commission which has been indicated in the voting materials available at the website address sent.

[30 May 2002; 23 September 2021]

Section 47. (1) The polling station commission shall perform the counting of votes in accordance with the procedures laid down in Chapter IV of this Law.

(2) The polling station commission shall register the postal envelopes received and store them unopened until commencing the counting of votes. The polling station commission shall only commence opening and counting of the envelopes received by post after the voting has been completed in all polling stations established abroad.

(3) The ballot envelopes received by post shall be counted separately, preparing a separate vote counting report.

[9 March 2006; 23 September 2021]

Section 48. (1) In starting to count the envelopes received by post, the postal envelopes shall be sorted into valid and invalid postal envelopes without opening them.

(2) Such postal envelopes shall be deemed invalid which:

1) have been sent by voters who have not applied for postal voting;

2) have been sent by voters who have voted at the polling station;

3) do not bear the given name, surname, and sequential number of the voter with which he or she has been registered in the voter list for postal voting;

4) have been received after the commencement of the counting of votes;

5) have been sent from the Republic of Latvia;

6) have been received from voters who have sent several postal envelopes.

(3) Valid postal envelopes shall be placed together and a notation shall be made in the voter list for postal voting that a valid postal envelope has been received. The total number of valid postal envelopes shall be recorded in the election procedure log. Invalid postal envelopes shall not be opened but the total number thereof shall be recorded in the election procedure log.

(4) In opening a valid postal envelope, it shall be verified whether it contains only one ballot envelope. If there are several ballot envelopes in the postal envelope, all of them shall be deemed invalid. A ballot envelope shall be deemed invalid if it does not contain a signed form confirming that the voter has voted in person.

[23 September 2021]

Chapter V.¹
Casting a Vote for Depositing Thereof

[6 February 2014 / See Paragraph 3 of Transitional Provisions]

Section 48.¹ (1) A voter may cast a vote for the depositing thereof before the election day. Polling stations where votes can be cast for the depositing thereof shall be established in all local governments. In local governments where there are more than 20 000 citizens with the voting right, polling stations where it is possible to cast a vote for depositing thereof shall be set up in a way to ensure that there is one such polling station per whole number of 20 000 citizens with the voting right. The working hours of the polling stations on the relevant days shall be as follows: on Monday from 17.00 to 20.00; on Thursday from 9.00 to 12.00; on Friday from 10.00 to 16.00. During this time the polling station commission shall work in a composition of not less than four persons.

(2) Inside the polling premises, a member of the polling station commission who has previously ascertained online that information on the person has been included in the electoral register and that there is no notation therein on the participation of this person in the relevant election of the Saeima, shall make a notation in the electoral register online on the participation of the voter in the election and enter the given name, surname, and personal identity number of the voter in the list of participating voters. The voter shall sign the list of participating voters.

(2¹) If there is a notation in the electoral register on the participation of the voter in the election, the polling station commission shall contact the polling station commission in which the voter has voted according to the information in the electoral register. The polling station commission in which the voter has voted previously shall annul the entry made in the list of participating voters on the fact of casting the vote for the depositing thereof.

(3) The voter shall receive from the polling station commission the ballot papers of all the lists of candidates nominated in the constituency, a registration envelope bearing the voter's given name, surname, and sequence number in the list of participating voters, and a ballot envelope which is sealed with a seal of the relevant polling station commission.

(4) The voter shall, on his or her own, perform the activities specified in Section 23 of this Law, place the sealed ballot envelope in the registration envelope, seal it and give it to the polling station commission which shall, in the presence of the voter, stamp the registration envelope with the seal of the relevant polling station commission and throw it in a sealed ballot box.

(5) A voter who has cast a vote for the depositing thereof may vote on the election day. The polling station commission to which he or she has deposited a vote for the depositing thereof shall annul the entry made in the list of participating voters on the fact of casting the vote for the depositing thereof and the voter shall vote in accordance with the procedures laid down in Chapter III of this Law.

(6) When a polling station commission opens ballot boxes once the elections are over (Section 31, Paragraph three), it shall sort the registration envelopes into two groups - valid and invalid envelopes. The registration envelope is invalid if the relevant voter has voted again later, if it has not been stamped with the seal of the relevant polling station commission, or if it does not bear the voter's given name, surname, and sequence number in the list of participating voters. The invalid registration envelopes shall be counted and packaged unopened. The polling station commission shall open the valid registration envelopes and count the votes as specified in Chapter IV (Section 31, Paragraph four) of this Law.

[8 April 2021; 23 September 2021]

Chapter V²
Voting Procedure in the Case of Disruption to Activity of the Electoral Register Online

[23 September 2021]

Section 48.² (1) If it is not possible to ascertain that the information on the person is included in the electoral register and a notation has not already been made on the participation of this person in the election, voting shall take place by using a registration envelope, and the relevant voters shall be entered in a separate list of participating voters.

(2) A voter shall, on his or her own, perform the activities specified in Section 23 of this Law, place the sealed ballot envelope in the registration envelope on which the polling station commission has indicated his or her given name, surname, and sequence number in the list of participating voters, seal the registration envelope, and hand it over to the polling station commission which shall stamp it with the seal of the relevant polling station commission and throw it in a sealed ballot box.

(3) As soon as it is possible to ascertain that the information on the person has been included in the electoral register and a notation has not been made therein on the participation of the person in the election, the polling station commission shall, without interfering with the voting, verify this information according to separate lists of participating voters, make a notation in the electoral register on the participation of the voter in the election, and mark in the lists of participating voters whether the vote of the person is countable.

(4) After election the polling station commission shall open ballot boxes and sort the registration envelopes into two groups - valid and invalid envelopes. The registration envelope shall be invalid if:

1) it does not bear the voter's given name, surname, and sequential number in the list of participating voters;

2) it has not been stamped with the seal of the relevant polling station commission;

3) the relevant person cannot be found in the electoral register;

4) according to the information in the electoral register, the relevant person has already voted.

(5) The invalid registration envelopes shall be counted and packaged unopened. The polling station commission shall open the valid registration envelopes and count the votes in accordance with the procedures laid down in Chapter IV of this Law.

[23 September 2021]

Section 48.³ (1) If, after entering of the information referred to in Section 31, Paragraph two of this Law in the vote counting report, the polling station commission establishes, prior to opening of the ballot box, that there remains a significant number of voters in respect of whom it has not been verified whether the information on the person has been included in the electoral register and whether a notation has not already been made therein on the participation of the person in the relevant election, the polling station commission may announce a break with the permission of the election commission of the relevant local government. If the permission of the local government election commission has been received to announce a break, the polling station commission shall package or place lists of participating voters in a separate sealed box prior to announcing the break. The relevant election commission of the local government may determine another place where to resume the counting of the votes and to invite additional specialists from among the voters to ensure the counting of votes.

(2) If voting has taken place by using registration envelopes in a polling station abroad, the polling station commission shall act in accordance with the procedures stipulated by the Central Election Commission.

[23 September 2021]

Chapter VI
Final Provisions

Section 49. The complete election results, also the results regarding the number of votes received by each candidate in each list of candidates in each polling station shall be compiled within six months and published in a separate publication which shall be freely available in State libraries.

Section 50. After 10 days have passed after convening of the newly elected Saeima, all the ballot papers shall be destroyed but after publication of the election results in accordance with the procedures laid down in Section 49 of this Law, all the minutes of the election commissions shall be deposited in the State Archives.

[26 March 1998]

Section 51. (1) The submitter of the list of candidates and the nominated candidate have the right to appeal to the court the decision of the Central Election Commission on the approval of election results within three working days after the day of taking thereof.

(2) Submission of the application to a court shall not suspend the operation of the decision referred to in Paragraph one of this Section.

[9 March 2006; 23 May 2019]

Section 52. Persons who hinder citizens from participation in elections or conducting campaigns with violence, fraud, threats, bribery or in other illegal ways, or have knowingly submitted false information on themselves in the documents referred to in Section 11 of this Law, or in any other way falsified election documents, or have knowingly incorrectly counted votes, or have not respected the secrecy of voting, or have in other ways violated this Law shall be held liable as provided for by law.

Section 52.¹ (1) The Central Election Commission shall, within five days after receipt of a criminal conviction regarding violations of election rights, assess whether there has been any impact on the distribution of seats in the relevant election and shall take one of the following decisions:

1) not to redistribute the seats among the candidates registered in the relevant election;

2) to redistribute the seats in the Saeima among the candidates registered in the relevant election.

(2) The decisions of the Central Election Commission referred to in Paragraph one of this Section may be appealed to a court within 10 days after the day of taking thereof.

(3) After the decision referred to in Paragraph one of this Section has become incontestable, the Central Election Commission shall deliver it to the Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee of the Saeima.

[9 March 2006]

Section 52.² (1) Having received the decision of the Central Election Commission on the redistribution of the seats, the Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee of the Saeima shall announce this decision at the next sitting of the Saeima.

(2) If the Saeima supports the decision of the Central Election Commission, as of the moment of its announcement, the mandate of the member of the Saeima specified in the decision of the Central Election Commission shall expire and the Presidium shall invite another person specified in the decision to become a member of the Saeima.

[9 March 2006]

Section 53. (1) Expenses related to the preparation and procedure of elections shall be covered from the State budget.

(2) If the election of the Saeima takes place in the case provided for in Article 48 of the Constitution, the Central Election Commission shall commence the preparation of the election in the amount of financing allocated for ensuring the previous elections of the Saeima.

[14 July 2011]

Section 54. (1) In the case referred to in Section 13.¹, Paragraph one of this Law, the application shall be submitted to the Regional Administrative Court, whereas in the case referred to in Section 35.¹, Paragraph two, Section 51, Paragraph one, and Section 52.¹, Paragraph two of this Law - to the Department of Administrative Cases of the Senate of the Supreme Court.

(2) Court shall examine the case as the court of first instance. The case shall be examined in the composition of three judges.

(3) The court shall examine the case and take a ruling:

1) in the case referred to in Section 13.¹, Paragraph one, Section 35.¹, Paragraph two, Section 51, Paragraph one of this Law - within seven days after receipt of the application;

2) in the case referred to in Section 52.¹, Paragraph two of this Law - within 30 days after receipt of the application.

(4) An applicant shall specify the justification for the application. The burden of proof shall lie with the participants to the administrative proceedings.

(5) If the law determines the time period for execution of any procedural actions, however, the conditions of Paragraph three of this Section would not be observed in executing the respective procedural action within this time period, the judge (court) shall determine a time period appropriate for execution of the relevant procedural action.

(6) A ruling of the court, and also other decisions which are taken in performing procedural actions for examination of the submitted application or initiated case shall not be subject to appeal.

[9 March 2006]

Section 55. The Saeima which has been elected in the case provided for in Section 13 of this Constitution shall convene the first sitting on the day specified by the Central Election Commission.

[14 July 2011]

Transitional Provisions

[26 February 2009; 8 September 2011]

1. The new wording of Section 5, Clause 8 of this Law, the new wording of Section 6, Paragraph three of this Law, the new wording of Section 11, Clause 4, Sub-clauses "d" and "e" of this Law, the new wording of Section 13, Paragraph three, Clause 9 of this Law, the new wording of Section 16, Paragraph two of this Law, the new wording of Section 18, Paragraph two of this Law, the new wording of Section 29, Paragraph two of this Law, amendments to Section 36 of this Law and the deletion of Section 37 of this Law shall come into force on 1 July 2009.

[8 September 2011]

2. In the election of the Saeima on 17 September 2011, the local election commission shall determine one polling station in each city, except for Rīga, Daugavpils, and Liepāja, and also in each municipality where the election shall take place until 10.00 in the evening. The election commission of Rīga City shall determine four of such polling stations, the election commission of Daugavpils City - two of such polling stations, and the election commission of Liepāja City - two of such polling stations.

[8 September 2011]

3. Until the day of coming into force of the relevant amendments to the law On the State Budget for 2014, the expenses required for the introduction of Chapter V.¹ of the Law "Casting a Vote for Depositing Thereof" shall be covered from the funds for unforeseen events.

[6 February 2014]

4. Not only the passport of the citizen of Latvia, but also the identity card of the citizen of Latvia together with a voter certificate shall serve as the personal identification document of the voter in the election of the Saeima which takes place in 2014 and in 2018. Such voter has the right to receive the voter certificate who on 4 October 2014 or on 6 October 2018 accordingly holds a valid identity card of the citizen of Latvia, but does not hold a valid passport of the citizen of Latvia, and who has applied for receipt of the identity card or has received the identity card by 11 September 2014 or by 13 September 2018 accordingly.

[14 July 2014; 13 July 2017]

5. In order to ensure the production of the voter certificates referred to in Paragraph 4 of the Transitional Provisions of this Law for the election of the Saeima which takes place in 2014, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs shall, on 12 September 2014, hand over to the Central Election Commission the data of the Population Register as on 11 September 2014 regarding the citizens of Latvia who on 4 October 2014 will have attained 18 years of age and who on the election day hold a valid identity card of the citizen of Latvia, but do not hold a valid passport of the citizen of Latvia.

[14 July 2014; 13 July 2017]

6. The Central Election Commission shall ensure the production of the voter certificates referred to in Paragraph 4 of the Transitional Provisions of this Law for the election of the Saeima which takes place in 2014 and shall, on 18 September 2014, issue the produced voter certificates to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs. The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs shall ensure the production of the voter certificates referred to in Paragraph 4 of the Transitional Provisions of this Law for the election of the Saeima which takes place in 2018.

[14 July 2014; 13 July 2017]

7. The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs shall ensure the issuance of the voter certificates referred to in Paragraph 4 of the Transitional Provisions of this Law at the territorial divisions of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs from 22 September 2014 until 3 October 2014 or from 24 September 2018 until 5 October 2018 accordingly.

[14 July 2014; 13 July 2017]

8. A voter may receive the voter certificate in the territorial division of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs where the identity card of the citizen of Latvia was issued to the voter. The voter certificate shall be issued to the voter in another regional division of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs if the voter has submitted the relevant submission in writing to the relevant Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs by 22 September 2014 or 24 September 2018 accordingly.

[14 July 2014; 13 July 2017]

9. For the voter who has received the voter certificate, upon submitting the passport of the citizen of Latvia within the time period until 4 October 2014 or 6 October 2018 accordingly, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs shall make a notation in the passport on the fact of issuing the voter certificate to the voter.

[14 July 2014; 13 July 2017]

10. In the election of the Saeima which takes place in 2014 and 2018, a passport of the citizen of Latvia with a notation on the fact of issuing the voter certificate shall be a valid personal identification document of a voter, if presented together with the voter certificate.

[14 July 2014; 13 July 2017]

11. The voter certificate referred to in Paragraph 4 of the Transitional Provisions of this Law shall be handed over by the voter to the polling station commission upon receipt of the ballot papers and ballot envelope.

[14 July 2014]

12. In the election of the Saeima which takes place in 2022, Varakļāni municipality is included in the constituency of Vidzeme.

[20 January 2022]

The Law shall come into force on the day following its proclamation.

The Law has been adopted by the Saeima on 25 May 1995.

President G. Ulmanis

Rīga, 6 June 1995

¹ The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia

Translation © 2022 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)