Latvia's parliamentary election sees record-low turnout as ruling alliance wins decisively

Preliminary figures released by Latvia's Central Election Commission after all precincts reported show two notable developments from the 15th Saeima election: historically weak voter participation and an unusually dominant result for one political force.

Lowest turnout on record

Of roughly 1.56 million eligible citizens, only about 800,000 cast ballots — a turnout of around 51.8%, the lowest recorded since Latvia's founding constitutional assembly in 1920. Residents of the Vidzeme region were the most engaged, with turnout near 59%, while both the capital Riga (under 46.5%) and the Latgale region (under 47.2%) lagged behind.

The weak turnout itself reshaped the arithmetic of the vote: because the qualifying thresholds are calculated as a share of valid ballots cast, a smaller absolute number of votes was needed to clear the 5% barrier for seats and the 2% barrier for state funding. As a result, the party securing the fewest votes ever to enter parliament since independence was restored did so this time, with roughly 51,200 votes behind it.

A dominant front-runner

The alliance currently leading the government won more than a third of all valid votes, earning 41 of the parliament's seats — the strongest result by any single political force in the chamber's history, surpassing previous records. Six parties or alliances in total cleared the 5% threshold to enter parliament, including one newcomer. Several of the other parties that had previously sat in the governing coalition saw their support collapse sharply compared with four years ago.

A tight race for public funding

Beyond parliamentary seats, the results also determine which parties qualify for state budget financing over the next four years — nine parties or alliances cleared that lower 2% bar. One former coalition party came within only a few dozen votes of missing the cutoff entirely.