Zaržeckis names two main reasons people avoid voting
Ahead of Latvia's 15th Saeima elections, plastic surgeon Jānis Zaržeckis identified two key reasons why some citizens choose not to vote, urging people not to waste this opportunity.
As Latvia's 15th Saeima elections approach on October 3, 2026, attention has turned to why some citizens choose not to participate in voting. On the TV24 program "Preses klubs," plastic surgeon Jānis Zaržeckis addressed the topic, pointing to two reasons he considers most common.
Indifference and a lack of belief in one's influence
According to Zaržeckis, one group avoids elections out of political apathy — they simply have no interest in what is happening in the country and become convinced that a single vote cannot change anything. This belief, he says, leads people to opt out of the process entirely.
Protest against politicians
The second reason, Zaržeckis explained, is a deliberate decision to skip voting as a form of protest. Some people say they dislike politicians and see staying home on election day as a way of boycotting the system.
However, Zaržeckis warned that such a strategy can backfire, producing the opposite of the intended effect. By not voting, he argued, a citizen gives up the chance to have any say in decision-making — meaning a protest against politicians effectively also means forfeiting one's right to express an opinion on election day. He stressed that elections are a rare opportunity that should not be missed.
In Saeima elections, Latvian citizens who have turned 18 elect 100 members of parliament for a four-year term across five constituencies — Riga, Vidzeme, Latgale, Zemgale and Kurzeme. Citizens living abroad vote in the Riga constituency. Voters choose a candidate list but can also mark individual candidates with a plus sign or cross them out to express their preference. The 15th Saeima elections will take place on October 3, 2026, with polling stations open from 8:00 to 20:00.
