Saeima Replaces Nearly 30-Year-Old Voting System

The Saeima has replaced its electronic voting system that had been in use for almost three decades. The new equipment became operational on Thursday, July 23, replacing the old consoles that had been used since 1997. The parliament's press service informed the portal "Delfi".

According to the Procurement Monitoring Bureau, the replacement was carried out by SIA "A-T Trade Music" for €321,510. The change was necessary because the old system posed a growing risk of failure—spare parts were no longer available, and broken units had to be kept running using parts from other decommissioned consoles.

The new machines provide all the same functions: registration of deputies, quorum checks, registration for debates, and voting on procedural matters. They comply with the Saeima's rules of procedure.

The project was implemented in close cooperation with the cybersecurity institution "Cert.lv", which conducted necessary security and resilience tests. The equipment was also inspected and accepted by the elected vote counters—representatives from all parliamentary factions.

Configuration, installation, and system testing took place between the spring and autumn sessions. Before the first use in a sitting, deputies had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the equipment and test it. The machines were purchased via a public procurement process.