Central Election Commission Unveils Action Plan for Election Disruptions
The Central Election Commission has prepared proposals to ensure the continuity of elections in emergencies, prioritizing public safety while preserving voters' constitutional rights.
In preparation for the 15th Saeima elections, the Central Election Commission (CEC) has developed proposals outlining clear protocols for various threat scenarios. These include airspace threats, evacuations, polling station disruptions, and disinformation campaigns. The primary focus of all scenarios is public safety, while ensuring that voters can still exercise their constitutional rights.
The proposals have been created in cooperation with the Crisis Management Center, the Ministry of Justice, local governments, and other institutions. Municipal election commissions have been tasked with identifying nearby safe rooms, shelters, and alternative polling stations so that voting can resume if a safety break is necessary. Legal amendments are also being evaluated to allow for more flexible organization of the voting process in emergencies.
CEC Chairman Māris Zviedris noted that while a year ago the main concern was the functioning of technical systems, now attention has shifted to conducting elections under various threats. At the same time, work continues on election system development. The online voter register has been submitted for testing ahead of schedule, and the candidate list functionality has been implemented in the Election Information System. Performance tests, functional testing, and implementation of cybersecurity audit recommendations are underway.
There are 933 polling stations established in Latvia, and 82 polling stations will operate abroad in 39 countries. The core compositions of polling station commissions have already been approved. Extensive training and practical exercises for commissions are planned throughout the summer in Latvia and abroad.
