Latvians voted on October 3 to elect a new parliament as Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs sought a full term, AP reported. The vote takes place amid concern about Russian aggression on NATO’s eastern flank. The election commission says voters are choosing 100 lawmakers for four years.
According to AP, a May crisis over the handling of stray drones suspected to be Ukrainian brought down the previous coalition. Parliament then approved a four-party government led by Kulbergs of United List. Latvia borders Russia and Belarus and strongly supports Ukraine.
Le Monde reported that voters it interviewed feared war and a weakening of Latvia’s position toward Russia. Some expressed concern about Latvia First and the Sovereign Power-Young Latvians alliance. Those interviews describe individual views, rather than establish the outcome of the election.
The election commission lists polling hours as 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Early voting in Latvia ran from September 28 to October 2. Citizens can vote at any domestic polling station with a valid Latvian citizen’s passport or identity card; 88 polling stations are available abroad.
Parliament’s election guide says seats are allocated proportionally across five constituencies, with overseas voters included in Riga. Parties or party alliances must receive at least 5% of votes nationwide to enter parliament. Citizens with full voting rights can cast ballots from age 18.
The official parliamentary guide says the new chamber first meets on the first Tuesday of November, when the previous legislature’s mandate ends. The immediate focus remains completion of voting and the count. This report does not declare a winner or project a governing majority.
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