Vote counting yet to begin in Riga hours after polls closed
More than two hours after polling stations closed in Riga, vote counting has still not begun because data verification in the Electronic Online Voter Register is ongoing, a member of the Riga election commission told LETA.
Nearly three hours after voting ended in Riga, the counting of ballots had still not started, Riga election commission member Laura Krastiņa told the LETA news agency.
According to Krastiņa, the delay is caused by ongoing data verification in the Electronic Online Voter Register (ETVR). This system is used to track voter participation and to prevent any person from voting more than once at different polling stations.
Krastiņa did not specify how long the verification process might take or when the actual counting of cast ballots would begin. The delay means that the announcement of final election results could also be pushed back accordingly.
The Electronic Online Voter Register allows election commissions to see in real time which voters have already cast their ballots on a given day. It plays an important role in ensuring the legality of the voting process and preventing fraud, though its slow operation can affect the overall timeline for counting votes nationwide.
It remains unclear whether similar delays are affecting other polling stations outside Riga or whether the issue is specific to the capital's election commission.
