Advance voting begins ahead of Latvia's 15th Saeima election

Latvia opened advance voting on Monday, September 28, allowing citizens to cast their ballot ahead of the 15th Saeima election scheduled for October 3. The option is meant for those who cannot or prefer not to wait until the main election date.

Eligibility and documents

Any Latvian citizen aged 18 or older is entitled to vote. A valid passport or eID card is required for identification — without one, voting is not possible.

Advance voting schedule

Voters may deposit their ballot for safekeeping at any polling station in Latvia during specific windows: Monday, September 28, 17:00–20:00; Tuesday, September 29, 8:00–11:00; Wednesday, September 30, 17:00–20:00; Thursday, October 1, 8:00–11:00; and Friday, October 2, 12:00–15:00.

The process differs from standard voting. Each voter receives two envelopes: a ballot envelope containing their marked choice, and a registration envelope on which staff record the voter's details. The ballot envelope is placed inside the registration envelope, which is sealed with an official stamp in the voter's presence. These envelopes are stored separately and opened only on election day. A vote cast this way can still be withdrawn before October 3.

Election day and constituencies

On election day, October 3, polling stations across Latvia and abroad — at diplomatic missions and diaspora voting locations — will be open from 8:00 to 20:00 local time. Voting is organized across five constituencies: Riga, Vidzeme, Kurzeme, Zemgale, and Latgale, each with its own candidate lists. Voters abroad receive the Riga constituency's lists. Full candidate information is published by the Central Election Commission on its website.

Voting for health reasons

Voters who cannot reach a polling station due to health issues may request voting at their location by submitting a written application to the polling station commission or local municipality. Some hospitals, including Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital and Liepāja Regional Hospital, have designated polling stations on site.