Postal ballots for Latvia’s parliamentary election valid only if sent from abroad

Latvia’s Central Election Commission has reminded voters that postal ballots in the election for the 15th Saeima are valid only if sent from abroad, LSM reports. Ballots sent from Latvia will not be counted.

The commission said it has already received the first ballots sent from Latvia. This was possible because voters registered for postal voting and printed the materials while in Latvia.

“If a voter knows they will not be in Latvia during the election, they can prepare the ballot in advance, but it must be sent from abroad,” said Iveta Rozenfelde, the commission’s press secretary.

Voters who have sent their postal ballots from Latvia have not lost their opportunity to vote. The commission is urging them to vote in person, either by casting their ballot for safekeeping during one of the five days before the election or on election day, October 3.

How to vote by post from abroad

Voters can register for postal voting until September 25 through the e.cvk.lv website or the “Voter data management” e-service on the Latvija.gov.lv portal.

During registration, voters must choose one of 37 postal voting stations abroad to which their prepared ballot will be delivered. They may also send their ballot to Latvia, to the Central Election Commission at 4 Smilšu Street in Riga.

Through the e-service, voters can download the ballot paper, a declaration confirming that they voted personally, voting instructions and the information that must be written on the postal envelope.

The selected ballot paper must be placed in the election envelope, which must then be sealed. The sealed election envelope and the handwritten declaration confirming personal voting must be placed in a postal envelope.

The postal envelope must include the voter’s first and last name, the registration number assigned through the e-service, the address of the selected postal voting station and the wording “The postal envelope contains an election envelope.”

The prepared ballot must be sent from abroad to the postal voting station selected during registration. Voters may also deliver it in person to their chosen postal voting station abroad. The ballot must arrive no later than election day, October 3. The commission has urged voters to send their ballots early, taking postal delivery times into account.