Preliminary election results: Unified List wins big but also tops the 'most crossed-out' list
With most votes counted in the 15th Saeima election, the Unified List has won decisively, though its own candidates also received the highest number of 'against' marks. Meanwhile, the Greens and Farmers' Union fell just short of the 5% threshold.
With roughly 99% of votes counted in Latvia's 15th Saeima election, the Unified List (AS) has emerged as the clear winner with 35.3% support, securing 42 seats in parliament. It is followed by 'Latvia First' (LPV) with 13.1% and 17 seats, and the 'Sovereign Power'/'Union of New Latvians' alliance (SV/AJ) with 11.74% and 15 seats. The new Saeima will also include the National Alliance (8.91%, 10 seats), 'Progressives' (7.81%, nine seats) and 'New Unity' (6.34%, seven seats) — just six parties in total.
Just below the threshold
The Greens and Farmers' Union, with 4.41% of the vote, fell just short of the 5% barrier and will not enter parliament. Above the 2% mark that guarantees state funding eligibility, 'We Change the Rules' (3.43%) and 'For the Development of Latvia' (2.18%) also qualified. Falling below that line were 'For Stability!' (1.99%), 'Rising Sun for Latvia' (1.33%), the 'Gobzems List' (0.98%), the Harmony Centre (0.82%) and the New Conservative Party (0.33%).
Voters' favorites and least favored
The most supportive marks from voters went to AS candidate Andris Kulbergs, who received 58,489, followed by Jūlija Stepaņenko of SV/AJ with 29,679 and Ainārs Šlesers of LPV with 25,083 'in favor' marks. Yet it is the AS list that also contains the country's most crossed-out candidates — Ingmārs Līdaka (17,253 'against' marks), Aivis Ceriņš (13,654) and Edvards Smiltēns (12,636), who nonetheless also drew 17,610 supportive marks.
Among other lists, LPV's Aleksandrs Bartaševičs stands out, ranking third for positive marks within his own list while simultaneously being its most crossed-out candidate. In the 'Progressives' list, top performer Andris Šuvajevs earned 16,472 supportive votes, while party colleague Kaspars Briškens received the most 'against' marks internally.
