If a voter does not have the opportunity to vote on election day, June 5, then in local government elections at certain times it will be possible to do so on the previous voting days – May 31, June 3 and 4. Voters at risk of Covid-19 are particularly encouraged to use this option, as polling stations tend to have fewer voters in previous polling days.
Unlike the previous elections, this year the previous voting times will be longer and the first voting day will be Monday, May 31, when the polling stations will be open from 16.00 to 20.00. It will also be the first day that the new voter registration solution, the electronic online voter register, will be tested in real time at all polling stations, allowing voters to vote at any polling station in their constituency by presenting a passport or identity card as a voting document.
It will not be possible to vote at polling stations on Tuesday, June 1, and Wednesday, June 2. These days, it is planned to improve the voter register solution, if there is a need after Monday’s trial. Polling stations, on the other hand, will be on call these days and will be able to apply to vote at the polling station.
The previous vote will resume on Thursday, 3 June, when the polls will be open from 9 am to 4 pm, and on Friday, 4 June, the previous vote will take place from 1 pm to 8 pm. Polling station opening hours on Election Day, June 5, will be from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
When registering voters in the electronic online register, a polling station employee will scan the voter’s passport or ID card barcode or QR code with a smart device at the polling station and make sure that the voter is included in the relevant municipal voter list and does not have a record in the voter register. In the system, the voter will be marked in the electronic voter list, while the polling station employee will additionally enter the information about the voter in the paper voter list, where the voter will have to sign for the receipt of ballot envelopes and ballot papers.
If, for some technical reason, it is not possible to use the online voter register, voters will be able to vote in the registration envelope. The voter will be registered in a separate voter list, where the voter will sign for the receipt of voting materials. Along with the ballot envelope and badges, the voter will be issued another envelope – a registration envelope with the voter’s name, surname and personal identification code. Once the election has been made, the voter will be required to place an anonymous ballot envelope with the ballot in the registration envelope. The registration envelope will have to be handed over to the polling station employee at the ballot box, who will stamp it with the polling station seal and throw it in the ballot box.
As the online voter register resumes operation, the election commission will check whether the voter has the right to vote in the relevant constituency and whether the vote has not already been registered at another polling station. The voter register will note that the voter has voted in the relevant election
poll, the list of voters will be marked as valid and will be counted. If the voter has voted in another polling station in the meantime, the vote will be canceled and will not be counted.
In municipal elections, the administrative territory of each municipality forms a separate constituency. On June 5, 2021, municipal elections will be held in 41 constituencies – in the new administrative territories – in six state cities and 35 counties. For example, the newly formed South Kurzeme region is one constituency, and the voters of this region can vote at any polling station within the constituency. No elections will take place in Riga Municipality this year, as the City Council was elected in extraordinary elections last year, and it will continue to work until the 2025 elections.
Every voter can find out the polling stations in their constituency on the website of the Central Election Commission www.cvk.lv in the section “Polling stations”. In turn, it is possible to find out your constituency in the e-service of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) “Clarification of the constituency”. Inquiries about polling stations and the constituency in which the voter is registered for elections can also be obtained by calling the reference number of the Central Election Commission at 67049999.
To reduce the risk of spreading the Covid-19 virus infection, voters will have to follow safety precautions in polling stations – keep a distance of two meters, disinfect their hands, wear a face mask, and it is recommended to use their pen. If the voter is not present, the disposable face mask and pen will be available at the polling station.
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