Latvia holds 15th Saeima elections as 1,428 candidates compete for 100 seats

Latvia is holding elections for the 15th Saeima today. A total of 1,428 candidates from 14 political party lists are competing for 100 seats across five electoral districts: Riga (38 seats), Vidzeme (26), Zemgale (13), Latgale (12) and Kurzeme (11). Citizens living abroad vote for candidate lists registered in the Riga district.

Lower competition than before

The Central Election Commission reports that on average 14.3 candidates are competing per seat this year, down from 18.3 in the 2022 election. Overall, five fewer lists and 398 fewer candidates were registered compared to the previous vote. The Riga district drew the most candidates overall, 527, while competition relative to the number of seats is highest in Zemgale and Kurzeme.

Candidate pool getting older, more educated

An analysis shows candidates have become older and more educated: the average age is now 48.5 years, and 78.7% of candidates reported having higher education. Women make up 34% of all candidates, with the highest share in the Latgale district. Of all candidates, 74.3% identified as Latvian and 7.6% as Russian. About a third of candidates also ran in the previous election.

Voting procedures

The country has 933 in-person polling stations, 15 fewer than in the previous election, though several municipalities are expanding mobile polling networks. New and unconventional locations this year include Riga Airport, Riga Zoo, hospitals and shopping centers. More than 83% of stations are accessible to people with mobility impairments. Polling stations are open from 8am to 8pm, and voters can cast ballots at any station regardless of their registered address. At the station, each voter selects one party list ballot, which can be left unchanged or marked to show support or opposition to individual candidates. After polls close, votes will be counted manually, with preliminary results published gradually as counts come in.