Voter turnout in 15th Saeima election lowest since independence was restored

Voter turnout in the 15th Saeima election, held on October 3, has turned out to be the lowest recorded since Latvia restored its independence. Based on data collected from 995 of the country's 1,059 polling stations, preliminary turnout stands at 50.81%.

In this election, 1,428 candidates representing 14 political party lists are competing for the 100 seats in the Saeima.

Comparison with previous elections

Until now, the second-lowest turnout on record was in the 13th Saeima election, when 54.56% of eligible voters cast ballots, followed by the 12th Saeima election with 58.85%.

The highest turnout since independence was restored came in the 5th Saeima election, when 89.9% of voters participated. In subsequent elections, turnout gradually declined: 71.9% in the 6th Saeima, 71.89% in the 7th, and 71.51% in the 8th. Later figures continued to fluctuate downward — 63.12% in the 10th Saeima, 60.98% in the 9th, 59.45% in the 11th, and 59.41% in the 14th.

The preliminary figure for the 15th Saeima now falls below this entire downward trend. While the final number may shift slightly once all polling stations report their results, it already marks the lowest level of voter participation since the early 1990s.