YOUR GUIDE TO VOTING IN LATVIA

Image showing an a girl putting a ballot in a voting box.

When to Vote

8 June 2024

Mark your calendars!

Anyone aged 18 or over on the election day can vote if they have residency in Latvia and hold either Latvian citizenship or the citizenship of another EU country. 

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Do I have an obligation to Vote?

No, there is no legal obligation to vote. But you know what we say…use your vote anyway!

Where can I vote?

Illustration showing different ways to vote, by mail, in person or online.

If you are a Latvian citizen voting in Latvia

If you live in Latvia, you can vote at any polling station nationwide. And guess what?! You can also vote earlier, as the polling stations will be open on Monday, Thursday and Friday. More good news? Youdon’t have to register, the authorities will take care of it for you. You can find all the polling stations here.

If you are a Latvian citizen voting from another EU country

Do you live abroad? To vote, you don’t have to register. On the contrary, the authorities will automatically do it for you.

You can vote in person, at the polling station of the embassy or consulate in the country of residence (or where you travel if you are there temporarily), or you can vote by mail.

Voting by mail: if you wish to vote by mail, then you have to apply from 4 to 31 May via email, to receive the voting ballot. All you have to do is print the voting documents, cast your vote and send it back to Riga. It should reach Latvia by 9 June 2024. Learn more here.

If you are an Lavian citizen voting from a country outside the EU

The same rules of registration apply when voting outside the European Union. 

If you are EU citizen voting in Latvia

As a legal resident in Latvia, you can of course vote there! Make sure to register first to be on the voting list (and show your intention that you want to vote in Latvia and not your own country). All you have to do is submit a form in person, by mail or online (with an electronic signature). You can find the form here.

Deadline to register: you have to submit the form no later than 30 days before the election

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Voting Online
Can I vote online?
NO ✖ Unfortunately you cannot vote online in Latvia.
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Voting by Mail
Can I vote by mail?
YES ✔ you can vote by mail but only if you are a Latvian citizen voting from abroad. Check our section above!
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Voting by Proxy
Can I vote by proxy?
NO ✖ Unfortunately you cannot vote by proxy, unless you are physically unable to cast your vote.
Find more info
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Voting & accessibility

Do you have a disability or an illness? If you cannot go to the polling station, there are forms of assistance available:

  • you can choose someone to assist you in filling the ballot
  • you can request a mobile polling station at your home in advance
  • some polling stations should be accessible for wheelchairs
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fun facts

  • Latvia joined the European Union on 1 May 2004.
  • Latvia will have 9 members of the European Parliament the same as in the previous elections in 2019.
  • There is only one national constituency and everyone votes for the same list across the country.
  • Latvia uses preferential voting, giving voters the option to indicate their preference on a party list.
  • The threshold for the European elections is at least 5% of the votes.
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