!!The elections are postponed due to COVID-19 concerns
The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced the extraordinary municipal elections in Riga to be held on April 25 this year.
According to the Law on Dissolution of the Riga City Council, elections should take place on the first Saturday after two months from the date of entry into force of the Law. The law entered into force on 25 February, so the Election Day will be Saturday, April 25.
The Riga City Council's extraordinary elections will have the same voting conditions as they were in the 2017 elections. On Election Day polling station will be open from 7.00 to 22.00. It will be possible to vote during early voting period three days before the election day:
- Wednesday, April 22, from 17.00 – 20.00;
- Thursday, April 23, from 9.00 – 12.00;
- Friday, April 24, from 10.00 – 16.00.
The right to participate in the Riga City Council elections have citizens of Latvia and other member states of the European Union (EU), who have reached the age of 18 and who had registered place of residence in the administrative territory of Riga 90 days before the Election Day - on 26 January 2020, or who own real estate in the administrative territory of Riga. The voting document in the Riga City Council elections will be a valid passport or identity card (eID). There will be no stamp made in the passport, and voter lists will be used to ensure the principle of “one voter – one vote”. Accordingly, every voter will have to vote at the prescribed polling station.
Voter lists will be created by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in cooperation with the Central Election Commission and the Riga municipality. Initially, each voter will be included in the voter list of the polling station corresponding to the voter’s registered place of residence. The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs no later than till 26 March will send to voters by post to their residential address in Riga the information regarding the polling station in the voters’ list of which the voter is included. Starting March 26, voters can find out their polling station also by calling the CEC hotline or using the e-service of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.
If the initially allocated polling station is not comfortable to vote, it will be possible to change it to any other polling station in Riga from 26 March to 11 April. Also at this time, the voters who do not have a declared place of residence in Riga but who own real estate in Riga will be able to register for voting in the Riga City Council elections. It will be possible to change the polling station or register for a vote in Riga in the e-service of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs or in the authority for residence declaration of the Riga City.
Voters who will not be able to attend polling stations for health reasons will be able to apply for a vote for voting at their place of residence.
Candidate lists for the extraordinary elections to the Riga City Council will be submitted from March 20 to March 26. The lists of candidates will have to be submitted to the Riga City Election Commission. A registered political party, a registered association of registered political parties, as well as two or more registered political parties that have not formed a registered association of political parties may submit the candidate list for the elections to the Riga City Council.
Nationals of Latvia or other EU Member States who have reached at least 18 years of age and are registered in the Voters Register have the right to participate in local government elections as candidates. In order to stand in the elections to the Riga City Council, the person must meet at least one of these conditions on the day of the submission of the list of candidates – he or she must have a registered place of residence in Riga without interruption for the last 10 months, he or she must have worked as a worker or self-employed person for at least the last four months or he or she has to own real estate in Riga.
Useful information:
On 13 February 2020 the Saeima adopted the Law on Dissolution of the Riga City Council, which entered into force on 25 February.
According to the Law, the CEC should announce the elections to the Riga City municipality no later than on the fifth day after the Law’s entry into force.
!!The elections are postponed due to COVID-19 concerns
25.02.2020.
Information Department
Tel. +371 67814900