Voting begins in Nalšia North as campaign ban takes effect

Voting began Sunday in the Nalšia North single-member constituency in a by-election for Lithuania’s parliament, with 11 candidates competing for the seat. LRT reported that a campaign ban took effect seven hours before polls opened.

Voters can cast ballots from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at any of the constituency’s 27 polling stations. A total of 28,440 people are eligible to vote.

The constituency covers Ignalina District Municipality, the city of Visaginas and three polling districts in Zarasai District Municipality: Salakas, Smalvos and Turmantas.

The candidates are Ignotas Adomavičius of Dawn of Nemunas; Giedrius Dainys of the Union of Centre-Right; Gintautas Kindurys, nominated by the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union; and Vladislavas Kondratovičius of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party.

Also running are Nikolajus Lebedevičius of the Lithuanian Regions Party; Maksimas Paukštė of the Freedom Party; Mėta Paulauskė of the Liberal Movement; Antanas Šakalys of the Democrats’ Union For Lithuania; Andrejus Šildiajevas of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats; Dalia Štraupaitė of the Union of the Nation and Justice; and Viktoras Voroninas of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania–Union of Christian Families.

Under the election code, a candidate must receive the most votes and the votes of at least one-fifth of all voters registered in the constituency to be elected. If no candidate reaches that threshold, a second round will be held in two weeks between the two candidates with the most votes.

The by-election was called after liberal MP Jevgenijus Šuklinas, who was elected in the constituency, died in May.