2023 Lithuanian municipal elections

Last updated
Municipal elections across Lithuania, by party. 2023 Lithuanian municipal elections by leading party by muncipality.jpg
Municipal elections across Lithuania, by party.
Mayoral elections across Lithuania, by party. Lithuanian Mayor elections 2023 - dominant party by eldership.png
Mayoral elections across Lithuania, by party.

Municipal elections in Lithuania were held on 5 March 2023 [1] and saw 1,498 members of the municipal councils and 60 mayors elected to office for a four-year term.

Contents

Election system

Size of cabinet in each municipality varies depending on populations. Lowest population municipalities with up to 5,000 inhabitants have 15 seats, while largest municipalities with over 500,000 inhabitants have 51 seats. [2]

During mayoral elections, a single candidate must receive over 50% in first round, otherwise the top two candidates will participate in second round. If turnout is less than 40% in specific municipality, the candidate must receive at least 20% of all registered votes to win the title.

Changes in regulations

New Lithuanian Elections Codecs came into power on 1 September 2022. With new regulations all elected mayors will no longer have a seat in the municipal council and the number of mayoral terms is now capped at a maximum of three. [3]

Mayoral elections

MunicipalityElected mayor [4]
Akmenė District Municipality Vitalijus Mitrofanovas
Alytus Nerijus Cesiulis
Alytus District Municipality Rasa Vitkauskienė
Anykščiai District Municipality Kęstutis Tubis
Birštonas Municipality Nijolė Dirginčienė
Biržai District Municipality Kęstutis Knizikevičius
Druskininkai Municipality Ričardas Malinauskas
Elektrėnai Municipality Gediminas Ratkevičius
Ignalina District Municipality Laimutis Ragaišis
Jonava District Municipality Mindaugas Sinkevičius
Joniškis District Municipality Vitalijus Gailius
Jurbarkas District Municipality Skirmantas Mockevičius
Kaišiadorys District Municipality Šarūnas Čėsna
Kalvarija Municipality Nerijus Šidlauskas
Kaunas Visvaldas Matijošaitis
Kaunas District Municipality Valerijus Makūnas
Kazlų Rūda Municipality Mantas Varaška
Kelmė District Municipality Idelfonsas Petkevičius
Kėdainiai District Municipality Valentinas Tamulis
Klaipėda Arvydas Vaitkus
Klaipėda District Municipality Bronius Markauskas
Kretinga District Municipality Antanas Kalnius
Kupiškis District Municipality Dainius Bardauskas
Lazdijai District Municipality Ausma Miškinienė
Marijampolė Municipality Povilas Isoda
Mažeikiai District Municipality Rūta Matulaitienė
Molėtai District Municipality Saulius Jauneika
Neringa Municipality Darius Jasaitis
Pagėgiai Municipality Vaidas Bendaravičius
Pakruojis District Municipality Saulius Margis
Palanga Šarūnas Vaitkus
Panevėžys Rytis Mykolas Račkauskas
Panevėžys District Municipality Antanas Pocius
Pasvalys District Municipality Gintautas Gegužinskas
Plungė District Municipality Audrius Klišonis
Prienai District Municipality Alvydas Vaicekauskas
Radviliškis District Municipality Kazimieras Račkauskis
Raseiniai District Municipality Arvydas Nekrošius
Rietavas Municipality Antanas Černeckis
Rokiškis District Municipality Ramūnas Godeliauskas
Skuodas District Municipality Stasys Gutautas
Šakiai District Municipality Raimondas Januševičius
Šalčininkai District Municipality Zdzisław Palewicz
Šiauliai Artūras Visockas
Šiauliai District Municipality Česlovas Greičius
Šilalė District Municipality Tadas Bartkus
Šilutė District Municipality Vytautas Laurinaitis
Širvintos District Municipality Živilė Pinskuvienė
Švenčionys District Municipality Rimantas Klipčius
Tauragė District Municipality Dovydas Kaminskas
Telšiai District Municipality Tomas Katkus
Trakai District Municipality Andrius Šatevičius
Ukmergė District Municipality Darius Varnas
Utena District Municipality Marijus Kaukėnas
Varėna District Municipality Algis Kašėta
Vilkaviškis District Municipality Algirdas Neiberka
Vilnius Valdas Benkunskas
Vilnius District Municipality Robert Duchniewicz
Visaginas Municipality Erlandas Galaguz
Zarasai District Municipality Nijolė Guobienė

Vilnius Mayor

CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Valdas Benkunskas Homeland Union 68,78831.13116,46452.73
Artūras Zuokas Freedom and Justice 47,80521.64104,41247.27
Mykolas Majauskas Independent 23,78910.77
Tomas Vytautas Raskevičius Freedom Party 22,14610.02
Waldemar Tomaszewski Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania 19,0188.61
Vytautas Sinica National Alliance 8,3473.78
Rasa Budbergytė Social Democratic Party of Lithuania 5,6062.54
Lukas Savickas Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" 4,5152.04
Eglė Radvilė Liberals' Movement 4,1061.86
Valdas Tutkus Lithuanian Regions Party 4,0481.83
Ieva Kačinskaitė-Urbonienė Labour Party 3,1831.44
Stasys Jakeliūnas Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union 2,9651.34
Petras Gražulis People and Justice Union 2,3521.06
Aidas Gedvilas Independent 2,1900.99
Remigijus Lapinskas Lithuanian Green Party 1,6610.75
Ramojus Girinskas Young Lithuania 4360.20
Total220,955100.00220,876100.00
Valid votes220,95598.90220,87698.71
Invalid/blank votes2,4641.102,8891.29
Total votes223,419100.00223,765100.00
Registered voters/turnout453,31549.29453,67049.32
Source: VRK (first round), VRK (second round)

Kaunas Mayor

CandidatePartyVotes%
Visvaldas Matijošaitis Public election committee "United Kaunas"77,76259.66
Aurelijus Veryga Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union 16,63912.77
Vytautas Juozapaitis Homeland Union 12,8179.83
Ieva Budraitė Lithuanian Green Party 6,0704.66
Nijolė Putrienė Liberals' Movement 3,8512.95
Gintautas Labanauskas Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" 3,6742.82
Mantas Bertulis Freedom Party 2,9822.29
Darius Razmislevičius Social Democratic Party of Lithuania 2,7202.09
Darius Trečiakauskas Christian Union 1,3751.05
Marijus Velička Labour Party 1,3561.04
Rūta Zabielienė People and Justice Union 5960.46
Dainius Varnas Freedom and Justice 4920.38
Total130,334100.00
Valid votes130,33497.76
Invalid/blank votes2,9862.24
Total votes133,320100.00
Registered voters/turnout247,95853.77
Source: VRK

Klaipėda Mayor

CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Arvydas VaitkusPublic election committee "Loyal to Klaipėda"12,00424.0030,91362.56
Audrius Petrošius Homeland Union 10,42120.8418,50237.44
Remigijus Žemaitaitis Freedom and Justice 10,21220.42
Ligita Girskienė Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union 5,57111.14
Vytautas Grubliauskas Social Democratic Party of Lithuania 3,8437.68
Saulius Budinas Liberals' Movement 3,6817.36
Artūras Bogdanovas Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" 1,1642.33
Birutė Andruškaitė Freedom Party 1,0402.08
Naglis Puteikis People and Justice Union 9551.91
Giedrius Bindza Labour Party 6431.29
Arvydas Ektis Lithuanian Green Party 4760.95
Total50,010100.0049,415100.00
Valid votes50,01098.1549,41598.49
Invalid/blank votes9451.857571.51
Total votes50,955100.0050,172100.00
Registered voters/turnout124,87940.80124,95440.15
Source: VRK (first round), VRK (second round)

Municipal councils' results

Political partyMunicipality electionsMayoral electionsNote
Votes% [5] SeatsSeats
Social Democratic Party of Lithuania 204,02917.4535817
Homeland Union 189,39616.202395
Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union 107,5689.201858
Public election committees 161,86113.8418311
Liberals' Movement 81,2626.951359
Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" 78,0526.681245New
Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance 62,3595.33571
Lithuanian Regions Party 28,9272.47561
Freedom and Justice 60,7945.20552
Labour Party 42,9273.67460
Freedom Party 41,5223.55130New
Lithuanian Green Party 19,3861.66120
Christian Union 6,1240.5280
People and Justice Union 10,7040.9270
Central Right Coalition Homeland Union 7,5660.6560
Liberals' Movement
Freedom Party
Visaginians coalition Homeland Union 1,4870.135New
Liberals' Movement
National Alliance 13,1401.1230New
Coalition „Best Choice“ Freedom and Justice 2,0600.183New
Freedom Party
Liberals' Movement
Coalition „For Freedom to Grow“ Liberals' Movement 1,2090.103
Lithuanian Green Party
Coalition „Strong Family - Strong Kaunas“ Christian Union 3,0490.260New
People and Justice Union
Young Lithuania 1,4950.1300
Samogitian Party 7410.0600
Independent candidates1
Void votes43,5163.72I - 29,6562.54%
II - 8,763
1.34%
Total1,169,1741001,498
Registered voters/turnout2,389,34248.93
Source: VRK [6]

Vilnius City Council

2023 Vilnius City Council Election Results.svg
PartyVotes%Seats
Homeland Union 65,71830.4519
Freedom and Justice 31,53714.619
Freedom Party 29,33013.599
Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania 23,89211.077
Social Democratic Party of Lithuania 13,8116.404
National Alliance 10,4164.833
Liberals' Movement 8,3653.880
Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" 8,3613.870
Labour Party 6,0982.830
Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union 5,0202.330
Lithuanian Regions Party 4,2371.960
Lithuanian Green Party 3,9101.810
People and Justice Union 2,4701.140
Young Lithuania 1,4950.690
Christian Union 1,1910.550
Total215,851100.0051
Valid votes215,85196.64
Invalid/blank votes7,5093.36
Total votes223,360100.00
Registered voters/turnout453,31549.27
Source: VRK

Kaunas City Council

2023 Kaunas City Council Election Results.svg
Party or allianceVotes%Seats
Public election committee "United Kaunas"64,35149.7326
Homeland Union 20,63515.958
Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union 9,8287.604
Social Democratic Party of Lithuania 6,9445.373
Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" 5,3234.110
Lithuanian Green Party 5,0713.920
Freedom Party 4,9543.830
Liberals' Movement 4,7003.630
Strong family - Strong Kaunas Christian Union 3,0492.360
People and Justice Union 0
National Alliance 2,0191.560
Labour Party 1,8721.450
Freedom and Justice 6420.500
Total129,388100.0041
Valid votes129,38898.49
Invalid/blank votes1,9801.51
Total votes131,368100.00
Registered voters/turnout247,95852.98
Source: VRK

Klaipėda City Council

2023 Klaipeda City Council Election Results.svg
PartyVotes%Seats
Public election committee "Loyal to Klaipėda"10,16620.758
Freedom and Justice 9,18818.757
Homeland Union 9,08618.547
Liberals' Movement 4,7669.733
Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union 4,5059.193
Social Democratic Party of Lithuania 3,9778.123
Freedom Party 1,9543.990
Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" 1,8463.770
Lithuanian Green Party 1,2412.530
Labour Party 1,2282.510
People and Justice Union 1,0452.130
Total49,002100.0031
Valid votes49,00294.26
Invalid/blank votes2,9865.74
Total votes51,988100.00
Registered voters/turnout124,87941.63
Source: VRK

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artūras Zuokas</span> Lithuanian politician

Artūras Zuokas is a Lithuanian journalist, businessman and politician who served as the mayor of the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, from 2000 to 2007 and again from 2011 to 2015, and as member of Lithuania's unicameral parliament, Seimas, from 2008 to 2009. He was the leader of the Liberal and Centre Union, then YES - Homeland Revival and Perspective and the Lithuanian Freedom Union, and has been the chairman of Freedom and Justice since 3 February 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in Lithuania</span>

Elections in Lithuania are held to select members of the parliament, the president, members of the municipal councils and mayors, as well as delegates to the European Parliament. Lithuanian citizens can also vote in mandatory or consultative referendums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance</span> Lithuanian political party

Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance or EAPL–CFA is a political party in Lithuania. It positions itself as Christian-democratic. It has 3 seats in the Seimas, 1 seat in the European Parliament and 57 seats in municipal councils after the 2023 local election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Lithuanian parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania on 10 October 2004, with a second round on 24 October 2004 in the constituencies where no candidate won a majority in the first round of voting. All 141 seats in the Seimas were up for election; 71 in single-seat constituencies elected by majority vote and the remaining 70 in a nationwide constituency based on proportional representation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberals' Movement (Lithuania)</span> Lithuanian political party

The Liberals' Movement is a conservative-liberal political party in Lithuania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People and Justice Union</span> Political party in Lithuania

The People and Justice Union is a right-wing populist political party in Lithuania. It is currently not represented in the Seimas. The chairman of the party is Petras Gražulis. Gražulis was impeached from the Lithuanian parliament in late 2023 and is not allowed, until 2033, to participate in any national elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samogitian Party</span> Political party in Lithuania

The Samogitian Party is a minor ethnic-regionalist autonomist party of Lithuania's Samogitian minority founded in February 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997–98 Lithuanian presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Lithuania in December 1997 and January 1998. Artūras Paulauskas finished first in the first round on 21 December 1997 with a significant margin, with Valdas Adamkus finishing second, but neither received a majority of the vote. Adamkus defeated Paulauskas in the runoff, held on 4 January 1998. With a vote difference of 0.74%, it is the closest result in the history of presidential elections in Lithuania since 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Lithuanian parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania on 14 October 2012, with a second round on 28 October in the constituencies where no candidate won a majority in the first round of voting. All 141 seats in the Seimas were up for election; 71 in single-seat constituencies elected by majority vote and the remaining 70 in a nationwide constituency based on proportional representation. Together with the elections, a referendum on the construction of a new nuclear power plant was held.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithuanian People's Party</span> Political party in Lithuania

The Lithuanian People's Party is a minor pro-Russian political party in Lithuania. It describes itself as left-of-centre. It was founded in 2010 as a split from the Lithuanian Peasant Popular Union, and was led by the party's former chairman and the first prime minister of independent Lithuania, Kazimira Prunskienė. It has no representatives on the European, national or municipal level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Italian local elections</span>

The 2014 Italian local elections were held on 25 May, with a second round on 8 June. In Italy, direct elections were held in 4,086 municipalities: in each municipality (comune) were chosen mayor and members of the City Council. Of the 4,086 municipalities, 29 were provincial capitals and 243 had a population higher than 15,000 inhabitants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal elections in France</span>

Municipal elections in France allow the people to elect members of the City Council in each commune. These are called conseillers municipaux. They elect the mayor, who chairs the city council, as well as Deputies to the Mayor. The term of office of councilors, the mayor and his deputies is, in principle, six years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal council (France)</span>

In France, a municipal council is an elected body of the commune responsible for "executing, in its deliberations, the business of the town" (translated).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithuanian Green Party</span> Lithuanian political party

The Lithuanian Green Party is a green-liberal political party in Lithuania. It was founded in 2011. The party's chairwoman is environmental activist Ieva Budraitė.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Lithuanian parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania on 9 and 23 October 2016 to elect the 141 members of the Seimas. 71 were elected in single-member constituencies using the two-round system, and the remaining 70 in a single nationwide constituency using proportional representation. The first round was held on 9 October and the second round on 23 October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Lithuanian parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania on 11 and 25 October 2020 to elect the 141 members of the Seimas. 71 were elected in single-member constituencies using the two-round system, and the remaining 70 in a single nationwide constituency using proportional representation. The first round was held on 11 October and the second round on 25 October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Lithuanian parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania on 13 and 27 October 2024 to elect the 141 members of the Seimas. Parliament members were elected in 71 single-member constituencies using the two-round system, and the remaining 70 in a single nationwide constituency using proportional representation. The first round was held on 13 October and the second round on 27 October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Duchniewicz</span> Lithuanian social democratic politician of Polish ethnicity

Robert Duchniewicz is a Lithuanian Polish politician. As of 2023, he is the vice-chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania and mayor of Vilnius District Municipality, which includes the rural districts around Vilnius and the Vilnius urban area's outskirts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Social Democratic Party of Lithuania leadership election</span> Political party leadership election

The 2021 Social Democratic Party of Lithuania leadership election took place on 3–9 May 2021 to elect the chairperson of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania. It was the third direct leadership election in the party's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public election committee (Lithuania)</span>

In Lithuania, a public election committee is an organized group of voters outside of political parties which participates in local or European Parliament elections.

References

  1. "Lithuania looks to hold mayoral, municipal council elections on March 5". lrt.lt. 2022-09-09. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
  2. LIETUVOS RESPUBLIKOS RINKIMŲ KODEKSO PATVIRTINIMO, ĮSIGALIOJIMO IR ĮGYVENDINIMO KONSTITUCINIS ĮSTATYMAS
  3. https://www.vrk.lt/naujienos/-/content/10180/5/pradeda-galioti-rinkimu-kodeksas Pradeda galioti
  4. Merai
  5. of all votes
  6. 2023 m. kovo 5 d. savivaldybių tarybų ir merų rinkimai - Partijų, komitetų gautų balsų ir mandatų skaičius Lietuvoje

See also