Lithuanian parliament considers March 7 date for 2027 local elections

Lithuania’s Seimas has agreed to consider a proposal to hold the next municipal council and mayoral elections on March 7, 2027, LRT reported.

The resolution was submitted by Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas and received the support of all lawmakers who voted. It must still pass further stages before it can be adopted.

The Central Electoral Commission had previously said the elections should be held between February 14 and March 14. After considering the terms of municipal mandates and the timing of the past five elections, it identified February 28 and March 7 as the two possible dates.

Under the Electoral Code, regular municipal council and mayoral elections must take place no earlier than two months and no later than one month before the end of the elected officials’ terms. The Seimas must announce the elections at least six months before those terms expire.

Voters will elect 1,494 municipal council members, four fewer than in 2023, and 60 mayors. Mayors do not hold municipal council member mandates, so they are not included in the council member total.

Municipal elections in Lithuania are held every four years.