More than 24,500 voters cast ballots ahead of Saeima election
Monday 28th September 2026 on 20:31 in
Latvia
More than 24,500 voters had cast their ballots in advance by Monday ahead of Latvia’s 15th Saeima election, LSM reported, citing data from the Central Election Commission.
A total of 24,504 voters, or 1.57% of those eligible, had used the option to place their ballots in storage. Some polling stations were still compiling their data.
Riga recorded the highest activity, with 13,639 voters, or 2.28% of those eligible, casting ballots in advance. This figure includes 4,907 people abroad who registered to vote by post. For postal voting, the number of voters is counted as the number of people to whom voting materials were sent and who have not voted or placed their ballot in storage in person at a polling station, the commission said.
Latgale recorded the lowest activity, with 1,370 ballots placed in storage.
By comparison, 11,316 voters, or 0.73% of those eligible, had cast their ballots on the first day of advance voting before the 2022 election for the 14th Saeima, according to commission data.
Voters who cannot vote on election day, October 3, can place their ballots in storage on September 29 from 8am to 11am, September 30 from 5pm to 8pm, October 1 from 8am to 11am, and October 2 from noon to 3pm. Ballots can be placed in storage at any polling station in Latvia.
Voters can still change their choice on election day, in which case only their most recent ballot will be counted.
The advance voting procedure is secret. At the polling station, voters’ identity documents are checked and they receive a set of ballot papers, a stamped ballot envelope and a registration envelope. The polling station official writes the voter’s name, surname and number on the voter list on the registration envelope.
Voters mark their choice in private, place the selected ballot paper in the stamped ballot envelope and seal it. They then place the ballot envelope inside the registration envelope and seal that as well. In the voter’s presence, a polling station official stamps the registration envelope before placing it in the ballot box.