Latvia

Latvia became a member of the Association of Central and Eastern European Election Officials (ACEEEO) in the year of its foundation and joined the foundation charter together with a number of other states. The year 1991, similarly to the neighbouring countries Lithuania and Estonia, was the time of significant historical events. In this year inhabitants of Latvia, both by joining the barricades and by stating their opinion in a referendum, assured their support for the creation of democratic and independent state of Latvia. After the events in August 1991 the Republic of Latvia became independent de facto.

During the period since 1991 until nowadays four parliamentary elections - in 1993, 1995, 1998, 2002, and four local elections - 1994, 1997, 2001, 2005 have been held. In 12June 2004 briefly after Latvia’s joining the European Union European Parliament elections were held for the first time. During those 15 years voters for three times had to state their opinion in referenda regarding important issues. In 1998 there was a referendum on the amendments in the Citizenship Law, in 1999 - referendum on the amendments in the Law on State Pensions, but in 2003 - referendum on Latvia’s joining the European Union. During this time there have also been several attempts to propose amendments in legislations by the means of procedure of sign-in.
Like the State of Latvia, also the electoral system of Latvia has passed through numerous changes. During this time there has been a transition from the majority electoral system used in Soviet times to the proportional electoral system that was used in the times of the independent republic of Latvia in 1920s and 1930s. In 1993 after a break of almost 62 years the first democratic elections of the renewed Republic of Latvia was held, a multi-party system was consolidated, legislative acts regulating the electoral process were restored and accomplished. More or less significant changes have affected all the significant issues of the election process: active suffrage and its restrictions, the establishment of electoral roll and preparation of voters lists, passive suffrage - the order of submission and registration of candidate lists, rights to stand as a candidate and its restrictions, the electoral process, calculation of results, establishment of election commissions and the procedure of making an appeal against decisions made by the election commissions.
During 15 years there has been a significant development of the use of information technologies in the electoral process. For the time being electronic systems successfully are applied for establishment of the electoral roll, composition and registration of candidate lists, summarization and publication of candidate lists.
During 15 years election organizers, in cooperation with mass media and by implementing informative campaigns for voters, have succeeded to regain voters ’ loyalty to the electoral system.

Electoral System
The Constitution of Latvia (Satversme), established in 1922 and reestablished in 1991, prescribes that the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia (Saeima) shall be elected in general, equal and direct elections, and by secret ballot based on proportional representation. Seats in the Parliament are distributed proportionally to the number of votes cast for each candidate list. The proportional electoral system is applied also for European Parliament and local elections.

Latvia is divided into five constituencies from which 100 Members of Parliament are elected. The number of Members of Saeima to be elected from each constituency shall be proportional to the number of electors in each constituency four months before the election day. In local elections each municipality is an autonomous constituency and the number of deputies to be elected is determined according to the number of inhabitants registered in the respective municipality on the day when elections are announced. The capital city Riga where the number of deputies to be elected (60) is stipulated by the law is an exception.
All citizens who have attained eighteen years of age on the election day are entitled to vote in Latvia. In local and European Parliament elections also citizens of EU member states permanently living in Latvia and registered within the Voter Register of Latvia are entitled to vote. Persons who are recognized as incapacitated according to the procedure set by law or who are serving a court sentence in penitentiaries shall not be entitled to vote.
The age limit to stand as a candidate differs in parliamentary and local elections. In parliamentary elections persons who have reached the age of 21 can be introduced as candidates, while in local elections the right to stand as a candidate is enjoyed from age 18. In local and EP elections also citizens of other EU countries who permanently live in Latvia and who are registered within the Population Register of Latvia can be candidates.
There are also several restrictions to stand as a candidate. For instance, in parliamentary and local elections persons who after 13 January 1991 have been active in the Communist Party of Latvia or other similar organizations that have acted against the independence of the Republic of Latvia, as well as persons who belong or have belonged to the salaried staff of the USSR, the Latvian SSR or another country ’s state security, intelligence or counterintelligence services are prohibited to stand as candidates. Right to stand as a candidate is prohibited for persons who have been legally recognized as incapacitated or who are serving a court sentence in a penitentiary. Restrictions are applied also for persons who have been sentenced for a deliberately committed crime and if their previous criminal record has not been expunged or annulled unless the persons have been pardoned.
Candidate lists for parliamentary elections can be submitted by registered political parties or parties ’ associations. In local elections candidate lists can be submitted also by coalitions of registered parties but in municipalities with less than 5000 inhabitants - also by voters’ associations.
In elections in Latvia internally alterable candidate lists are used, it means that each candidate list has a separate ballot paper in which a voter can make particular changes. A voter has to choose a ballot paper of one of the lists. Then he has a chance to strike out those candidates who are unfavourable, or set a "+" to emphasize those candidates who are especially favourable. After making his/her choice a voter shall put the ballot paper in a voting envelope. In Latvia, voting envelopes, not ballot papers, are strict security documents. During the counting of votes only those ballot papers that are put into sealed voting envelopes are counted.
The duration of parliamentary convocation as well as for the local governments is four years. The time when elections have to be held is stipulated by the election laws. Parliamentary elections in Latvia shall be held on the first Saturday of October but local elections - on the second Saturday of March. Polling stations on the election day are opened at 7 AM and closed at 10 PM. In local and EP elections voting is organized also before the universal election day. The preliminary voting takes place three days before the election day and all voters who are not able to go to the polling station on the election day may use this opportunity. Voters who are not able to go to the polling station because of their health may apply for voting at their place of residence. In addition, in parliamentary elections, EP elections and referenda postal voting is organized. This opportunity can be used by those voters who during election time reside abroad. In foreign countries where there are many Latvian voters during parliamentary elections and referenda polling stations are also established.
In counting of election results in Latvia the Saint Lague method of mathematical counts is used that prescribes the number of votes of each candidate list to be divided by odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7 etc.). In Saeima elections mandates are divided between only that candidate lists that in the whole country have received at least 5 % of the total number of votes cast.

Development of the Election System - a Historical Discourse
All the parliaments of Latvia so far have contributed to the development of election system and made it as it is now. However, the most significant contribution is made by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia that was elected in 1990. Exactly the Supreme Council in the early 1990s created a work group with a task to evaluate the opportunities to utilize Saeima election law from 1922 in organizing the first democratic parliamentary elections after regained independence. In October 1992 the Supreme Council adopted the "Law on 5th Saeima elections" that was actually slightly amended and accomplished Saeima election law from 1922.

Significant changes compared to the 1992 were as follows: the introduction of 4% threshold, replacement of D’Hondt method of calculation of election results by the Saint Lague method, abandonment of externally alterable candidate lists that allowed voters to add to the ballot papers candidates from other candidate lists, reduction of age limit from 21 to 18, an opportunity for citizens of Latvia registered abroad to vote by post, as well as prohibition for persons who have collaborated with another country ’s state security, intelligence or counterintelligence services to participate in elections.

The parliamentary election system has met significant changes also in 1995 when the new law on Saeima elections was developed and came into force.
One of the most important changes in 1995 was connected to the procedure of submission of candidate lists. According to the previous system, in order to submit a candidate list supporting signatures of 100 voters were necessary. While the new redaction of the law stipulates that candidate lists for parliamentarian elections can be submitted only by registered parties, registered parties ’ associations or several political parties jointly without registering its association according to the procedure set by law. By this law there was set the procedure of submission of candidate lists and the documents to be attached, as well as a procedure according to which the Central Election Commission has the right to cancel those candidates of candidate lists who do not fulfil the necessary criteria. In addition, in the new law the percentage threshold was increased from 4 % to 5%.
Debates about amendments in the Parliament election law continued also before parliamentary elections in 1998 about such issues as introduction of externally alterable candidate lists, higher level of representation of women in the Parliament, as well as abandonment of the percentage threshold or the increase of it up to 7 %. However, none of these proposals was sustained. The main alterations of the procedure of parliamentary elections in 1998 were the following: the Parliament is elected for a term of four years instead of three, elections are held one day instead of two, and candidate lists may not be submitted by non-registered associations of political parties.
Less important amendments were introduced before the elections in 2002. This time the claim for deputy candidates to submit a certificate witnessing their knowledge of state language, as well as taking into account experience from previous elections, the procedure of counting of election results was specified. The opening hours of polling stations is prolonged by three hours - an hour in the morning and two hours in the evening. But after the parliamentary elections of 2002, the Constitutional Court condemned and repealed the prohibition against persons suspected of, or charged with a crime or persons subject to prosecution if they are remanded in custody, to participate in voting.
With the abandonment of the residence registration system, as well as Latvia’s joining the EU in 2004 the system of voters’ registration experienced important changes. The procedure used heretofore that anticipated to register voters only in polling station on election day by making a remark in voters ’ passport that confirms the fact of casting a vote, was replaced by preliminary registration of voters in voters ’ lists. Voter Register is introduced also in local elections, however, in parliamentary elections and referenda the previous procedure of voter registration is preserved where the principle of "one voter - one vote" is ensured by putting a stamp in voter’s passport.
Continuing the work with the improvement of election system, it is anticipated that the most important amendments in parliamentary election law before elections in 2006 will be related to the procedure of appeal of election commission decisions. The necessity of these amendments is originated in the adoption of the Law on Administrative Process and establishment of Administrative Courts to which the revision of disturbances of election procedure and revision of election results is disposed.
It must be pointed out that during 15 years likewise the parliamentarian election law also the law on local elections has seen a range of changes. The most important changes in the Election Law On City and Town Councils, District Councils and Pagasts Councils were made before the local elections in 1997 when the procedure of local election was mate to the procedure of parliamentarian elections.
Election Commissions
Preparation and conduct of the procedure of elections, referenda and legislation initiative is supervised by the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Latvia. The Central Election Commission of Latvia is an elected and independent state administration institution; its action is regulated by the Law on the Central Election Commission. The main tasks of the CEC of Latvia are to provide uniform and accurate application of election legislation, to coordinate the action of local election commissions, to make decisions and issue instructions regulating the preparation and election process, to distribute means of financing among the local election commissions, to organize training for election commissions, to consider complaints about the procedure of elections and referenda, to withdraw illegal decisions made by local election commissions, to summarize results of elections and referenda. The duty of CEC of Latvia is also to inform and educate voters about the procedure of elections, referenda and legislative initiative, as well as to draft proposals to improve election legislation.

The Central Election Commission is composed of nine commission members from whom the chairman and seven commission members are elected by the parliament, while one member is elected from judges by the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia. Traditionally representatives for the CEC of Latvia are introduced from all the political parties and its associations represented in the Parliament, opposition included. The technical provisions for elections and referenda are provided by the Secretariat of the CEC of Latvia. The term of office of the CEC of Latvia is four years and the election of the new Commission must be held within the period of 6 months after the first parliamentary session.
Besides the Central Election Commission, city, district, county and pagasts election commissions and polling station commissions are involved in the preparation process of elections, referenda and sign-in. The number of members in city, district, county and pagasts election commissions is 7 to 15 but in polling station commissions - seven.
Election commissions of counties are elected by county councils, election commissions of cities, districts and pagasts - by the council of the respective city, district or pagasts council. The action duration for local election commissions is also four years and the re-election takes place after local elections. Election commissions of polling stations are elected by election commissions of the respective municipality and these are established only for the period of preparation of elections or referenda.
The right to nominate and introduce candidates for election commissions of counties, cities, districts and pagasts is enjoyed by registered parties and their associations, deputies of self-government, as well as groups of voters. The procedure of establishing polling station election commissions is determined by the Central Election Commission.
The staff of election commissions and polling stations commissions is recruited from citizens of Latvia who speak Latvian and have at least secondary education.
In 2005 there were 556 local election commissions - 26 county, 60 city, 26 district and 444 pagasts election commissions. In addition, for the last local elections in 2005, 952 polling station election commissions were established

Voter Register
Since 2004 in the European Parliament and local elections in Latvia a united voters ’ registration system - Voter Register - is used. The Register is supervised by the Central Election Commission of Latvia but it is kept up and updated by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Interior of Latvia.
Voter Register is updated 120 days before the election day when according to the data from the Population Register of Latvia all municipalities are provided with information about the number of voters registered within their territory. After receiving such information municipalities are obliged to draw borders of polling stations and to distribute voters according them. This information is given to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, which produces voters’ lists and sends out announcements informing every voter about the polling station he or she is registered in.
Voters who eventually do not receive such announcement may learn about the address of their polling stations by calling the informative hotline, which is supervised by the Central Election Commission of Latvia. In addition, every voter has an opportunity to change the initially registered polling station until the 25th day before the election day. The change of polling station can be performed in any municipality.

Political Parties and Election Results
If one compares election results of parliamentary elections since early 1990s, two important trends can be identified. Firstly, political parties in Latvia very often do not have a clear ideology and parties are not able to formulate the course of their actions clearly. Rather often several political parties have consolidated or reshuffled, as well as deputies elected from the candidate list of one political party join another political party after elections. As a result, the greatest part of electorate does not vote for a particular political party as a united organization with its ideology but rather for separate candidates as personalities.

Secondly, since the elections in 1995 one or several new political parties have been established before every election. Their pre-election platform usually is based on a trial to fault-find those parties holding office, to make promises to correct mistakes of the current politicians and to implement rapid and more or less radical changes.
The 5th Saeima elections, the first parliamentary elections after regaining independence, were held in 1993. In these elections the number of candidate lists submitted was the highest so far - 23, from which 8 candidate lists got more than 4% of the total number of votes cast and thus gained mandates in the parliament. With certainty the election leader with 36 seats in the parliament was Latvia’s Way - the most solid and stable political party at that time, which may be characterized as liberal or liberal-conservative. Among the founders of the party there were several deputies of the Supreme Council of Latvia elected in 1990. Obviously the party won the elections mostly because of its positive pre-election campaign, as well as the high number of well-known personalities from the times of the Atmoda (Revival) movement embraced in the candidate list.
Latvian National Independence Movement (LNNK) with an individual candidate list became the second most popular party in the 1993 elections and gained 15 mandates. While Latvia ’s Popular Front, the symbol of independence movement, received only 2,6 % of total votes cast in these elections and thus no seats in the Parliament. At the same time almost 1% of votes cast went to the party Latvia’ s Happiness - a kind of burlesque about politics and struggles between political parties.
In the 6th Saeima elections in 1995 19 candidate lists participated, 9 of them gaining seats in the Parliament. To the astonishment, the greatest support from voters ’ and 18 mandates was received by the Democratic Party "Saimnieks", almost unknown before the elections, leaving the leader of previous election "Latvia’ Way" in the second place. Another surprise was People’s Movement "For Latvia" or the so called Zigerist’s party which received 16 seats. The most significant precondition of its success was not a certain ideology but rather a populist pledge to secure rash and full-scale development.
At the same time the number of supporters of the Union "For Fatherland and Freedom" - a party representing the national conservative wing increased. With 14 mandates it took the fourth place. 16 Members of Parliament came from two candidate lists composed of several political powers with seemingly different ideologies - 8 seats accordingly were given to both the consolidated lists of Latvia’s National Conservative Party, LNNK and Latvia’s Green Party, as well as to the candidate list of Latvia’s Union of Farmers, Latvia’s Christian Democratic Union and The Democratic Party of Latgale. Also the success of the Unity Party has to be pointed out - though established shortly before the elections it gained 8 mandates. The result was ensured by the very active pre-election campaign of the party. In addition, 11 seats at the Parliament are given to social democrats - People’s Harmony Party and Latvia’s Socialistic Party.
In the 7th Saeima elections in 1998 the number of candidate lists was still considerably high - 21, although only 6 of them got seats in the Parliament. Keeping the trend of previous times, the elections with 24 seats were won by People’s Party that was established shortly before the elections. Latvia’ Way by keeping its political course and popularity gained 21 seats in Saeima. More supporters compared to previous elections were attracted by both national conservative Union "For Fatherland and Freedom" and left wing People’s Harmony Party. The second newcomer for the 7th Saeima - The New Party - got 8 seats. This fact approve the results of sociological opinion polls saying that in the 7th Saeima elections when choosing the candidate list the fact that the party is newly established was an important criteria for one voter out of ten. Three of the parties that exulting in elections before four years - Zigerist’ party, the Party "Saimnieks" and the Unity Party - did not reach 5% of total votes cast and got no seats in the Parliament.
20 candidate lists took part in the parliamentary elections in 2002. Like in the 7th Saeima, also 6 candidate lists received seats in the 8th Saeima. The winner of elections, as traditionally, was a party established just before the elections - the New Era got 26 seats. A considerably large amount of votes went to the left wing Union of Political Organizations "For Human Rights in United Latvia" (25 mandates) while the leader of 1998 Peoples’s Party took the third place with 20 seats. It was followed by the Union of the Green and Farmers with 12 mandates and another newcomer - the First Party that won 10 mandates. As the last one to get the seats with 7 mandates was Union "For Fatherland and Freedom"- the only political party, which individually or in within a union has been represented in all the four Parliaments since 1993. One of the leaders of previous elections, Latvia’s Way, this time came to grief - the party received 4,9% of total number of votes cast and thus no seats in Saeima.
The Union "For Fatherland and Freedom"/LNNK was the leader in European Parliament elections in Latvia in 2004. The party received almost one third of all votes and four out of nine mandates of Latvia in the European Parliament. The second place with two mandates was taken by the winner of the last Saeima elections The New Era. One seat to each went accordingly to Union of Political Organizations "For Human Rights in United Latvia", The People’s Party and Latvia’s Way - the party for which Latvia joining the EU has been the most important aim since the early 1990s. The results of the European Parliament elections in Latvia to a certain extent can be considered as a protest vote two of the government coalition parties - The First Party and the Union of the Green and Farmers representing the Prime Minister - got less than 5% of the total number of votes cast.

Electoral Turnout
Analysis of the results of parliamentarian and local elections show that, similarly as in other European countries also in Latvia, there is a tendency for voters ’ interest in politics and participation in elections to decrease. Traditionally the lowest turnout can be observed during local elections, as well as the turnout in the first EP elections in 2004 was much lower than usually.

The highest turnout in Latvia could be observed during the parliamentarian elections in 1993, the first election after regaining of independence. In these elections 89, 9 % of those eligible to vote participated. In 1995 and 1998 the turnout reached 71,9%, but in the parliamentarian election 2002 - 71,36 percent.
In local elections 1994 participated 58,5 % voters, in 1997 - 56,81, in 2001 - 61,98 % but in 2005 local elections - 52,85 % voters. In the EP elections in Latvia in 2004 participated 41,34 % of voters.
Sociologists confess that tendency not to participate in elections is caused by alienation from the processes of decision making, braving of public opinion and the widespread opinion in the society that policy makers care more for satisfaction of their private or economic interests rather than needs of society. In sociological research Latvia voters mention mistrust to political parties and their promises, uncertainty of choice of whom to vote for and belief that participation in elections is pointless because nothing is going to change anyway as the most important arguments for not voting. While the main arguments in favour of participation constantly are responsibility of citizens, desire to support a particular party and hope for a better future.

Financing Campaigns
Function of political organizations (parties) is regulated by several legislative acts adopted in early 1990s. In the Law on Public Organizations and its Association", adopted in the end of 1992, stipulates the structure and procedure of registration of public organizations, such as political parties. However, this law did not establish clear provisions regarding funding of political parties.

In order to regulate provisions of funding of political parties, in 1995 the Law on Funding Political Organizations (Parties) was worked out and adopted. It anticipates several sources for funding political organizations: membership and admission fees, donations, income from any optional activities of parties, income from dividends from investments in capital companies and other legitimate sources.
There are several restrictions of funding political parties stipulated by the law mentioned. Acceptance of anonymous donations and funding of political parties from third persons is prohibited. Physical entities are not allowed to donate more than 10 000 lats to one political organization during a calendar year. Similarly, deposits from each party member to the party during a calendar year must not exceed 10 000 lats. Physical entities are prohibited from financing political parties using contributions and loans from other persons. Physical entities who have been sentenced and whose criminal record has not been expunged, as well as untenured KGB activists and salaried former KGB staff members and informants are prohibited from financing political parties. Political parties are prohibited from taking loans, issuing loans and standing surety for somebody.
The Law stipulates that all contributions and donations shall be transferred to political parties or counted in party ’s bank account. Within 10 days after the donation is received, political party must publish information about this donation on the Internet, denoting its type, sum, day when received and the physical or legal entity that has donated. Every year until 1 March all political organizations registered have to submit declaration to the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau about their financial activities during the previous year, indicating sources of income and amounts, as well as expenses.
Parties that have submitted their candidate lists for the Saeima, local or European Parliament elections, at least 30 days before the election day have to submit declaration about expenses during pre-election period to the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau. In the declaration all the expenses that has occurred within a period from the 270th day till the 50th day before the election day, including all the expenses from pre-election advertising must be published. At the same time all the political organizations that participate in elections at least 30 days before the election day have to provide the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau with data about the planned total election expenses.
In order to limit expenditures on pre-election campaigns, in 2004 in the Law on Funding Political Organizations (Parties) restrictions of pre-election expenditures were imposed. According to these restrictions a political organization in pre-election expenditures may spend an amount that does not exceed 0,20 lats for each voter in the respective constituency in which the party has submitted its candidate list, during previous elections. In addition to their pre-election advertising parties and party associations may use free of charge broadcasting time at the Latvia’ Radio or Latvia’s State Television. However, it must be confessed that this support for the state is more symbolic because candidates of one and the same candidate list have the right to use in all 20 minutes of broadcasting time in each of the media. Penalties for violating the Law on Funding Political Organizations (Parties) range from an administrative punishment and the returning of illegally obtained finances to the national budget to stopping the activity of the guilty party or even to initiating court action against the party.

Public information
Voters’ information about the procedure of elections, referenda and legislative initiative is one of the CEC ’s tasks. In the early 1990s the main goal of the voters’ information campaigns implemented by the election organizers was to retrieve society ’s confidence towards the election process and election organizers. Afterwards the aim of voters ’ information was to maintain the confidence, to ensure transparency of election process, as well as to educate voters.

In the course of years Central Election Commission of Latvia has realized a range of sociological research on voters ’ confidence regarding voting secrecy and election organizer. There have also been research on voters ’ motivation to participate or not participate at the election, the work of polling station election commissions is evaluated, voters ’ attitude towards different problem questions, e.g., pre-election campaigns, bribery of votes, etc. Conclusions have helped election organizers to make dialogue with the society and to accomplish election procedure making it more convenient and accessible for voters.
Since the middle of 1990s election organizers have implemented several projects of voters ’ information in cooperation with the national and regional mass media. The aim of this cooperation was to enhance knowledge about election procedure and to motive voters to participate.
An integral part of information campaign in Latvia is information in polling stations. Before elections every voter in polling stations can acquaint himself with the voting procedure, registered candidate lists, pre-election programs and data about candidates. Since elections in 1998 such information is available also at the webpage of CEC but since 2004 voters can query about election procedure via CEC hotline.
Since 2001 CEC, in cooperation with the Agency of Easy-to-Read, prepare information for voters with special needs. Before parliamentarian elections 2002 for the first time information about candidate lists and pre-election platforms was produced in audio format as well in order to make them available for voters with problems of sight.
Before every election CEC prepare several TV and radio materials in which voters’ registration and voting procedure is displayed in an attractive way.
An equally substantial part of information campaign that can enhance trust to election organizers and election results is work with mass media. During pre-election time journalists have an opportunity to follow all the important topicalities of election preparation process but in election night at the webpage of CEC of Latvia - also generalization of election results. Election results from different aspects, inter alia in each polling station, are available at the CEC webpage also after elections.
In December 2002, 2 months after the last parliamentarian elections, CEC of Latvia was the forth most trustful institution after radios, television and church. It tells about the utility of the work with society. While the sociological research made in May 2005 after local elections shows that 60 % of inhabitants trust in the Central Election Commission of Latvia.