198 inmates cast ballots at Liepāja Prison

A total of 198 inmates voted in Latvia’s 15th Saeima election at the newly built Liepāja Prison, LSM reported, citing TV Kurzeme. Inmates said their location did not change their rights or responsibility to help decide the country’s future.

Inmates had to submit an application to the prison administration before the election to vote. About two weeks beforehand, they were given access to party lists and programmes. Some said they had followed election debates or discussed politicians with relatives.

“It is time to make the right choice,” inmate Aleksandrs said, encouraging others to vote regardless of where they were. Sergejs, 36, said it was his first election because he had previously lived in other European countries. He was critical of Latvia’s economic situation and said he saw little prospect for improvement.

Kristaps said he was not closely interested in politics but had decided to vote. The prison administration did not disclose how many inmates were eligible, but described 198 votes as a good result. It suggested the opportunity to leave their cells briefly may have encouraged participation.

The prison did not have its own polling station and was attached to a municipal polling station, said Zita Balande, acting head of the prison’s Resocialisation Department. Inmates were escorted to vote in groups of two or three. Some asked why the ballots did not include a Zemgale list, as many inmates had been transferred from Jelgava. Voting proceeded smoothly, without significant complications.