Ombudsman's Office monitors voting access at social care homes
Representatives of Latvia's Ombudsman's Office visited 20 nursing homes across all regions on October 3 to check that residents can participate in the 15th Saeima elections. No violations have been found so far.
On the day of the 15th Saeima elections, representatives of Latvia's Ombudsman's Office are conducting on-site visits to check how voting rights are being ensured for residents of social care institutions. In total, 20 nursing homes located in all regions of Latvia are being visited in person on October 3.
The purpose of the checks is to confirm that people living in these institutions are able to exercise their voting rights without obstruction. No violations have been identified during the inspections carried out so far.
Focus on free and secret voting
The Ombudsman's Office representatives are paying particular attention to ensuring that elderly residents have a genuine opportunity to make their choice freely and in secret — meaning without influence from other people and with the content of their vote kept confidential.
Additional attention is being given to those nursing home residents who, due to their health condition, are unable to travel to a polling station on their own. Such people must be provided with an alternative arrangement that allows them to cast their vote without having to appear in person at the polling location.
The inspections are part of broader efforts to ensure that the electoral process remains accessible to all groups of residents, including those living in social care institutions who may be more dependent on assistance from others in daily life.
