The Saeima¹ has adopted and
the President has proclaimed the following law:

On the Central Election Commission

Chapter 1.
Procedures for the Establishment and Composition of the Central Election Commission

Section 1. The Saeima shall, not later than six months after the convening thereof, establish the Central Election Commission acting as an independent State authority for the preparation and holding of the Saeima, the European Parliament, city council and municipality council elections, and also national referendums and legislative initiatives.

[17 July 2008]

Section 2. The Central Election Commission shall consist of nine members - voters. The chairperson of the Central Election Commission and seven members of the Election Commission shall be elected by the Saeima, whereas one member shall be elected from among judges - by the Supreme Court during its Plenary Session.

During the first meeting, the Central Election Commission shall, by secret ballot, elect the deputy chairperson and secretary from among the members thereof.

[6 April 2006]

Section 3. A member of the Central Election Commission elected by the Saeima may be recalled from the Commission by the Saeima in the following cases:

1) if requested by not less than 10 members of the Saeima;

2) if the Saeima has received the submission of the relevant member of the Central Election Commission regarding termination of work in the Commission.

The member of the Central Election Commission elected by the Supreme Court may be recalled from the Commission by the Supreme Court.

If any member of the Central Election Commission terminates his or her work in the Central Election Commission, the Saeima or the Supreme Court shall elect another member of the Commission in his or her place.

Chapter 2.
Obligations and Rights of the Commission

Section 4. The Central Election Commission shall ensure the enforcement of the Law on the Election of the Saeima, the Election to the European Parliament Law and the City Council and Municipality Council Election Law and the law On National Referendum and Legislative Initiative, and also uniform and correct application of these laws and shall control accurate enforcement of these laws.

Upon fulfilling its obligations and exercising its rights, the Central Election Commission shall act within the scope of the laws and regulations in force.

[5 December 1996; 14 May 1998, 2 November 2000; 12 February 2004; 17 July 2008]

Section 5. The Central Election Commission shall, within the scope of laws and its competence, take decisions, issue the necessary orders and instructions which are published in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis. Decisions and orders shall enter into effect on the day of taking thereof, whereas instructions - on the day of publication thereof. Compliance with the decisions, orders, and instructions shall be ensured by all election commissions, and also State and local government authorities and the officials thereof.

[5 December 1996; 6 April 2006]

Section 6. The Central Election Commission:

1) shall determine the division of the funds allocated by the State for other election commissions;

2) shall ascertain that the relevant State and local government authorities would provide election commissions with premises, means of transport, and communication, and also other material and technical resources;

3) shall determine the appearance of ballot boxes and samples of documents related to the procedure of elections;

4) shall determine the procedures for the delivery of the election commission reports and other election (national referendum and legislative initiative) materials to election commissions;

5) shall determine the procedures for the delivery of reports and other election (national referendum and legislative initiative) materials by election commissions to the Central Election Commission;

6) shall hear out the reports of city and municipality election commissions regarding the preparation of elections or national referendums and legislative initiatives;

7) shall give instructions to city and municipality election commissions in respect of all matters related to ensuring the process and procedure of elections in accordance with the requirements laid down in law;

7¹) in relation to the received complaints or upon its own initiative, shall examine the voting results in separate electoral districts or polling stations;

7²) shall inform voters of the procedures for elections or national referendums and legislative initiatives;

7³) shall compile the results of elections or national referendums and publish them;

8) shall examine complaints and submissions in respect of the decisions and work of other election commissions and revoke the unlawful decisions thereof;

9) is entitled to examine any matter related to the preparation and holding of elections or national referendums and legislative initiatives;

10) shall fulfil other obligations specified in law.

[5 December 1996; 14 May 1998; 2 November 2000; 12 February 2004; 17 July 2008]

Section 7. The Central Election Commission shall be responsible for the establishment of all election commissions. For this purpose it shall:

1) determine the time periods for the establishment of election commissions if they are not specified in law;

2) participate in the establishment of elections commissions in accordance with the procedures laid down in law;

3) appoint election commissions if they have not been established in due time in accordance with the procedures laid down in law.

[5 December 1996]

Section 8. The Central Election Commission shall exercise its powers in accordance with the norms laid down in the he Law on the Election of the Saeima, the Election to the European Parliament Law and the City Council and Municipality Council Election Law and the law On National Referendum and Legislative Initiative.

[17 July 2008]

Section 9.

[5 December 1996]

Section 10.

[5 December 1996]

Section 11. The Central Election Commission is entitled to address its submissions and proposals in matters related to the preparation and procedure of elections or national referendums and legislative initiatives to State and local government authorities. Such submissions and proposals shall be examined by these authorities not later than within three days and written response shall be given to the Commission. The Commission has the right to invite to its meetings the officials of ministries, departments, and other State and local government authorities and to hear them out in matters related to the preparation and procedure of elections or national referendums and legislative initiatives.

[5 December 1996]

Section 12. If any violations of election rights have been allowed in separate polling stations during the Saeima, the European Parliament, city council and municipality council elections or national referendums and they have impacted the election (national referendum) results, the Central Election Commission shall decide whether the election (national referendum) results of the relevant polling station should be annulled. The decision of the Central Election Commission to revoke a decision of the election commission or polling station commission may be appealed to a court in accordance with the procedures laid down in law.

[15 May 2008; 17 July 2008]

Section 13. The decisions of the Central Election Commission the procedures for the appeal of which are not laid down in the relevant law shall be appealed to a court in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Administrative Procedure Law.

[15 May 2008; 6 May 2010]

Section 14. The Central Election Commission shall inform the public of its work and the decisions taken with the help of press publications, television, and radio. The meetings thereof may be attended by the representatives of the State and local government authorities and mass media accredited by the Central Election Commission.

[5 December 1996]

Section 15. The rights of a legal person are conferred to the Central Election Commission.

The organisational and technical service work of the Central Election Commission shall be ensured by the secretariat of the Central Election Commission.

[13 June 2002]

[14 May 1998; 13 June 2002]

Chapter 3.
Organisation of the Work of the Commission

Section 16. The remuneration (for example, monthly salary, supplements, social guarantees, etc.) of members and employees of the Central Election Commission shall be determined in accordance with the Law on Remuneration of Officials and Employees of State and Local Government Authorities.

[1 December 2009]

Members of the Central Election Commission shall, on the basis of a decision of the Commission, be removed from the duties at their work place during the fulfilment of their duties by preserving their position (place of employment). The Central Election Commission may involve any public official in the preparation of the elections and national referendums.

[15 May 2008]

[13 June 2002; 6 April 2006; 15 May 2008; 1 December 2009]

Section 16.¹ (1) Restrictions on commercial activities, earning of income, and combination of offices, and also other restrictions on and duties of the chairperson of the Central Election Commission, his or her deputy and secretary shall be determined in the law On Prevention of Conflict of Interest in Activities of Public Officials.

(2) Such restrictions on combination of offices specified in law for public officials shall not apply to a public official elected as a member of the Central Election Commission which prohibit to hold the office of a member of the Central Election Commission.

(3) If the Central Election Commission involves a public official in the preparation of the elections or national referendums, such restrictions specified in law for a public official shall not apply to the relevant public official which prohibit the involvement of the public official in the aforementioned activities and to receive remuneration for the performance thereof.

[15 May 2008]

Section 17. The meetings of the Central Election Commission shall be convened by its chairperson, notifying members of the Commission thereof.

If a member of the Commission cannot attend the meeting, he or she shall, in due time, inform the chairperson thereof.

Decisions of the Central Election Commission shall be taken by open ballot. A decision shall be taken if at least five members of the Commission vote this effect. The member of the Commission who does not agree with the decision is entitled to append in writing his or her differing opinion to the minutes of the meeting.

Decisions, orders, and instructions of the Commission shall be signed by the chairperson and secretary thereof.

Minutes are taken at the meetings of the Central Election Commission. The minutes of the meeting shall be signed by the chairperson and secretary of the Commission.

[5 December 1996]

Section 18. The chairperson of the Central Election Commission shall:

1) chair the meetings of the Commission; ensure the possibility for members of the Commission to become acquainted with the agenda of the meeting and the materials to be examined during the meeting in a timely manner;

2) assign tasks to members of the Commission which apply to the preparation and procedure of the elections and national referendums, and legislative initiatives, shall provide them with the documents related to the work of the Commission;

3) invite State and local government representatives, heads of other election commissions, and also other persons to the meeting of the Commission;

4) represent the Commission in State authorities, local governments, companies, institutions, and organisations;

4¹) represent the Commission in the European Union authorities and international organisations in matters related to the preparation and holding of the elections and national referendums;

5) control the enforcement of the decisions taken;

6) inform the Saeima of the work of the Central Election Commission, of its decisions taken;

6¹) in the cases specified in the Law on the Election of the Saeima and the Election to the European Parliament Law, notify the relevant authorities of the candidate who replaces the member who has refused the mandate of the member of the Saeima or the European Parliament or has lost the mandate for any other reason;

7) if requested by not less than 10 members of the Saeima, provide a report to the Saeima on the preparation of the elections and national referendums, and legislative initiatives;

8) open and close accounts of the Central Election Commission in credit institutions, handle the funds of the Central Election Commission;

9) fulfil other duties related to the elections and national referendums, and legislative initiatives.

During the absence of the chairperson, his or her office duties shall be fulfilled by the deputy chairperson, but during the absence of the chairperson and deputy chairperson - by the secretary of the Central Election Commission.

[5 December 1996; 12 February 2004; 6 April 2006; 6 May 2010]

Section 19. A member of the Central Election Commission may not concurrently be a member of another election commission.

If a member of the Central Election Commission is nominated as a candidate in the Saeima, European Parliament, or local government elections, his or her work in the Commission shall be terminated at the moment when the relevant list is submitted to the Central Election Commission.

A member of the Central Election Commission shall:

1) submit proposals and questions to be examined during the meetings of the Commission, take part in the discussion of questions;

2) check the work of other election commissions upon his or her own initiative or according to the assignment given by the chairperson and shall inform the Central Election Commission of the results of such check;

3) accept the questions of the representatives of institutions and organisations and citizens in relation to the preparation and procedure of the elections and national referendums, and legislative initiatives.

A member of the Central Election Commission is guaranteed the payment of such expenses which have occurred in the fulfilment of his or her tasks related to the preparation of the elections and national referendums, and legislative initiatives and verification of the procedure thereof.

[5 December 1996; 12 February 2004]

Section 20. The secretary of the Central Election Commission shall:

1) organise examination of individual or collective written submissions, complaints, and proposals of natural and legal persons;

2) be responsible for compliance with the provisions for the preparation and drawing up of the documents issued by the Central Election Commission, preservation of such documents, and handing over thereof for storage in the State Archives;

3) [12 February 2004];

4) prepare draft decisions and other documents of the Commission, prepare them for examination during the meetings of the Commission;

5) prepare the documents of the Commission regarding the replacement of the former members of the Saeima with the candidates for members of the Saeima;

6) accept the lists of candidates from submitters of the lists in the Saeima and European Parliament elections and the documents appended thereto, check the sufficiency and conformity thereof with the requirements laid down in law;

7) prepare the registration of the lists of candidates in the meetings of the Commission;

8) fulfil other duties related to the elections, national referendums, and legislative initiatives.

During absence of the secretary of the Commission, his or her office duties shall be fulfilled by any of the members of the Commission to whom such task has been assigned by the decision of the Commission.

[5 December 1996; 2 November 2000; 12 February 2004]

Transitional Provisions

1. [5 December 1996]

2. On the day of coming into force of this Law, the By-laws of the Central Election Commission approved by the decision of 2 December 1992 of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republikas Augstākās Padomes un Valdības Ziņotājs, 1992, 51/52) is repealed.

3. [13 June 2002]

4. Section 16, Paragraph one of this Law (regarding the salaries of members of the Central Election Commission by linking them to the official statistics statement of the Central Statistical Bureau), Section 16, Paragraph two of this Law (regarding insurance, the system of benefits and compensations, and also the compensation of expenses related to the rental payment for the residential space or hotel expenses for members and employees of the Central Election Commission, without exceeding the amount of the average monthly remuneration of the preceding year of persons working in the State, published in the official statistics statement of the Central Statistical Bureau), and Section 16, Paragraph three of this Law (regarding the preservation of the place of employment of members of the Central Election Commission) shall come into force on 1 November 2002.

[13 June 2002]

5. In 2009, the remuneration (salary, compensations, etc.) laid down in this Law shall be determined in accordance with the law On Remuneration of Officials and Employees of the State and Local Government Authorities in 2009.

[12 December 2008]

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

The Law has been adopted by the Saeima on 13 January 1994.

President G. ULMANIS

Rīga, 20 January 1994

¹ The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia

Translation © 2021 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)