Ombudsman monitors voting access at Latvia’s care homes

Representatives of Latvia’s Ombudsman’s Office visited 20 social care homes across the country on October 3 to check that residents could vote in the 15th Saeima elections freely and in secret, LSM reported, citing Zemgale Regional Television. No violations had been found so far.

The checks focused in particular on residents who could not reach polling stations because of their health, including whether they could cast their votes privately and without pressure.

At the Zemgale social care centre, 272 people live there, and 187 are eligible to vote. Eighty-nine residents wanted to take part. Those unable to go to a polling station submitted applications in advance, and an election commission visited the centre on voting day.

Centre director Zane Izkalna said staff asked residents who wanted to vote and helped them complete application forms. The forms were delivered to the nearest polling station, and the centre arranged a time for the commission to visit.

Voting was also made available to residents who are bedridden. Ombudsman’s Office representative Ruta Siliņa said the office was examining whether voting was secret and whether people unable to mark a ballot themselves had someone they trusted to assist them, as well as whether they had privacy.

Latvia has nearly 200 social care homes for older people.