CVK - Centrālā vēlēšanu komisija

Elections

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According to the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia, the sovereign power of the State of Latvia shall belong to the People of Latvia. One of the ways how the People can implement this power is free and democratic elections.

Since the renewal of state independence in 1990, five parliamentary elections – in 1993, 1995, 1998, 2002 and 2006, as well as five municipal elections – in 1994, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2009 have been held in Latvia.  

In June 12, 2004, shortly after joining the European Union, for the first time in Latvia European Parliament elections were held. The following EP election took place on 6 June, 2009 simultaneously with Local government elections in Latvia.

During a bit more than fifteen years voters for three times were invited to decide on significant issues in national referendums. In 1998 referendum on amendments in Citizenship Law was held, in 1999 – referendum on amendments in the Law on State Pensions, but in 2003 voters expressed their opinion on Latvia joining the European Union.

There have been several attempts to initiate amendments in laws by the help of sign-in procedure.

The election system of Latvia similarly as the Latvian state after the renewal of independence has experienced a succession of changes. During this time there has been a transition from plurality election system applied in the Socialistic Republic of Soviet Latvia to proportional election system which was used during the period of the first Republic of Latvia in 1920s and 1930s.

In 1993, after a break of almost sixty-two years the first democratic parliamentary elections were held in Latvia. Multi-party system has stabilized in Latvia, legislation defining election administration process have been reestablished and improved. During this time more or less substantial changes have occurred regarding all the most important issues of election organization -  election rights, procedure of submission and registration of candidate lists, rights and restrictions of candidates, the course of elections, calculation of results, formation of election commissions and procedure of appeal of decision of commissions.  

On the first Saturday in October 2010 the regular Saeima (Parliament) elections will be held in Latvia.