Collection of Signatures

To collect signatures for a draft law or draft amendments to the Constitution, an initiative group must be set up, which must register the planned draft law or draft amendments to the Constitution in the Central Election Commission. An initiative group may be formed by a political party or association of political parties, as well as by an association of at least 10 electors.

However, the Central Election Commission has the rights to refuse the registration of the draft law or draft amendments to the Constitution if the initiative group does not conform to the law requirements or draft law or draft amendments to the Constitution are not completely elaborated by form or contents.

To submit a draft law or draft amendments to the Constitution to the Central Election Commission, an initiative group must collect signatures of not fewer than one-tenth of Latvian citizens eligible to vote within 12 months from the day the draft law or the draft amendment to the Constitution is registered.

In the course of these 12 months, each voter’s signature must be certified by a notary public, local government institution at the registered place of residence, orphans’ court which fulfils the function of notary public, or a chairperson of a parish or a city council of the respective county.

Certified signatures must be collected on a signature sheet approved by the Central Election Commission. Each voter putting the signature must indicate his/her full name, ID number and the date of signing.

If identification of signatories and protection of natural persons’ data are ensured, signatures can be collected online via the Single State and Local Government Service Portal (www.latvija.lv) or other online system chosen by the initiative group for the respective purpose.

If the draft law or draft amendments to the Constitution have been supported by not fewer than one-tenth of the citizens of Latvia eligible to vote, the Central Election Commission within three days notifies about it the President of Latvia and sends him/her the voters’ initiated draft law or draft amendments to the Constitution.

The President submits the draft law or draft amendments to the Constitution to the Saeima. The Saeima must consider the draft law or the draft amendment to the Constitution during the session when the draft was submitted. If the draft law or the draft amendment to the Constitution is submitted during a recess or at an extraordinary session, it must be considered during the next regular session or at a special extraordinary session convened to consider the said draft law or the draft amendment to the Constitution.

If the Saeima does not adopt without change as to its content a draft law or a draft amendment to the Constitution, this draft law or draft amendment to the Constitution must be put to a national referendum.

The Constitution stipulates that the President has the right to suspend the proclamation of a law for a period of two months. Not fewer than one-third of the members of the Saeima have the right to request the President to suspend the proclamation of a law, as well.

If proclamation of a law has been suspended, the Central Election Commission must begin the collection of signatures for a national referendum on repealing the law.

Collection of signatures lasts for 30 days, including Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, and takes place in Latvia in signature collection stations set up by city or municipality councils and abroad – in embassies, consulates general and consulates of the Republic of Latvia.

A national referendum is held if not fewer than one-tenth of the citizens of Latvia eligible to vote in the previous Saeima elections have requested it by signing the signature sheets. However, a national referendum does not take place if the Saeima again votes on the law and not fewer than three-quarters of all members of the Saeima vote for the adoption of the law.

Not fewer than one-tenth of the electorate has the right to submit to the Central Election Commission a proposal to organize a national referendum on recalling of the Saeima. According to Article 14 of the Constitution, voters may not exercise this right one year after the convening of the Saeima, one year before the end of the term of office of the Saeima, during the last six months of the term of office of the President, as well as earlier than six months after the previous national referendum regarding recalling of the Saeima.

To start collection of signatures for a national referendum on recalling of the Saeima, an initiative group must be set up and registered with the Central Election Commission. An initiative group may be formed by a political party or association of political parties, as well as an association of at least 10 electors.

An initiative to hold a national referendum on recalling of the Saeima can be submitted within 12 months after the day when the Central Election Commission has registered the initiative group. In the course of these 12 months, each voter’s signature must be certified by a notary public, local government institution at the registered place of residence, orphans’ court which fulfils the function of notary public, or a chairperson of a parish or a city council of the respective county.

If identification of signatories and protection of natural persons’ data are ensured, signatures can be collected online via the Single State and Local Government Service Portal (www.latvija.lv) or other online system chosen by the initiative group for the respective purpose.

If not fewer than one-tenth of the electorate has signed the initiative to hold a national referendum on recalling of the Saeima and if the term, when a national referendum cannot be held, is not in effect on the day, when the signatures are submitted, the Central Election Commission announces the national referendum and set the date of the referendum. The national referendum must be held not earlier than one month and not later than two months from the day when the decision of the Central Election Commission to hold a national referendum on recalling of the Saeima is published in the official publication Latvijas Vēstnesis.