2025 Latvian municipal elections

Last updated

Municipal elections were held across Latvia on 7 June 2025. [1]

Contents

The elections were held in 42 municipalities. On 1 June 2021, the Constitutional Court of Latvia ruled that the annexation of Varakļāni Municipality to Rēzekne Municipality was unconstitutional. In response, the Saeima decided to preserve the existence of Varakļāni Municipality as a 43rd local government unit until 2025. [2] [3] In June 2024 the Saeima decreed that Varakļāni Municipality would be merged into Madona Municipality and 2025 Madona municipal election was held within the new borders. [4]

Electoral system

All 731 councilors will be elected using open-list proportional representation with a 5% electoral threshold. Seats are allocated using the Saint-Laguë method. The number of councilors was determined by the Central Election Committee based on the number of residents in a given municipality.

Seat allocation for the 2025 local elections [5]
CouncilorsMunicipality/State CityComments
60 Riga
23 Ogre Municipality more than 60,000 residents
19 Bauska Municipality, Cēsis Municipality, South Kurzeme Municipality, Jelgava Municipality, Jēkabpils Municipality, Ķekava Municipality, Madona Municipality, Mārupe Municipality, Ropaži Municipality, Sigulda Municipality, Talsi Municipality, Tukums Municipality, Valmiera Municipality municipalities with more than 30,000 but less than 60,000 residents
15 Daugavpils, Jelgava, Jūrmala, Liepāja, Ādaži Municipality, Aizkraukle Municipality, Alūksne Municipality, Augšdaugava Municipality, Balvi Municipality, Dobele Municipality, Gulbene Municipality, Krāslava Municipality, Kuldīga Municipality, Limbaži Municipality, Līvāni Municipality, Ludza Municipality, Olaine Municipality, Preiļi Municipality, Rēzekne Municipality, Salaspils Municipality, Saldus Municipality, Saulkrasti Municipality, Smiltene Municipality, Valka Municipality, Ventspils Municipality municipalities with less than 30,000 residents and state cities with more than 50,000 residents, except Riga
13 Rēzekne, Ventspils state cities with fewer than 50,000 residents

Voting rights

The right to participate in municipal elections is for citizens of Latvia and other European Union Member States who were 18 years of age and are eligible to vote. In order to participate in municipal elections in Latvia, citizens of the European Union must be registered in the Latvian Population Register 90 days before the elections. All voters must be registered in the Voters Register as well. Voters have the right to vote in the local government where they have their registered place of residence 90 days before election day or in the local government where they own real estate registered. [6]

Voters who have the right to vote in municipal elections, but who will be abroad during the election, can vote by mail from abroad. [7]

New ballot papers

Starting with the 2025 local elections, new ballot papers will be in force in Latvia. The main changes will affect those voters who wish to highlight one of the candidates in particular, or express a negative attitude towards one of the candidates on the selected list. Until now, it was customary for candidates whom a particular voter particularly supports to be marked with a “+” sign, and undesirable ones to be simply crossed out. According to this new ballot paper model, next to each candidate's name there will be two differently colored fields, and the voter will be able to shade one – the green field – if they particularly support a candidate, or shade the other – the red field – if they find the particular candidate unacceptable. [8]

Results

Daugavpils

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Go, Latgale! 15,87969.0314New
For Latvia's Development 1,6016.961Increase2.svg 1
Latvia First, Latgale Party 1,1194.860Decrease2.svg 2
Daugavpils Municipality Party, Latvian Green Party 1,0734.660Decrease2.svg 2
National Alliance 1,0534.580New
Daugavpils – mana pils 8183.560New
For Stability! 7003.040New
Sovereign Power, Alliance of Young Latvians 5232.270New
Together for Latvia 1590.690New
Union of Greens and Farmers 770.330Steady2.svg
Total23,002100.00150
Valid votes23,00298.82
Invalid/blank votes2751.18
Total votes23,277100.00
Registered voters/turnout54,89342.40
Source: Central Election Commission of Latvia

Jelgava

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Union of Greens and Farmers 3,44019.153Decrease2.svg 3
Sovereign Power, Alliance of Young Latvians 3,35718.693New
New Unity 1,94610.832Steady2.svg
National Alliance 1,86910.402Steady2.svg
Movement For! 1,80510.052Steady2.svg
New Conservative Party 1,3817.691Increase2.svg 1
Latvian Association of Regions 1,3717.631Steady2.svg
Latvia First 1,2066.711New
Latvian Green Party 7554.200New
The Progressives 5583.110Steady2.svg
Social Democratic Party "Harmony" 2151.200Decrease2.svg 1
Centre Party 620.350New
Total17,965100.00150
Valid votes17,96598.98
Invalid/blank votes1851.02
Total votes18,150100.00
Registered voters/turnout38,53147.10
Source: Central Election Commission of Latvia

Jūrmala

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Latvian Green Party 6,77135.526New
National Alliance 4,29622.544Increase2.svg 2
Union of Greens and Farmers 2,35112.332Decrease2.svg 6
Social Democratic Party "Harmony" 1,4917.821Decrease2.svg 1
The Progressives 1,4097.391Increase2.svg 1
Latvia First 1,1676.121New
New Unity 6803.570Decrease2.svg 1
Sovereign Power, Alliance of Young Latvians 5072.660New
Jūrmala – Our Home 3331.750Steady2.svg
Centre Party 580.300New
Total19,063100.00150
Valid votes19,06398.67
Invalid/blank votes2561.33
Total votes19,319100.00
Registered voters/turnout38,98049.56
Source: Central Election Commission of Latvia

Liepāja

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Liepāja Party 9,14446.149Increase2.svg 3
Latvian Association of Regions 4,05020.434Decrease2.svg 1
National Alliance 1,8549.352Increase2.svg 1
Latvian Russian Union 9294.690New
Social Democratic Party "Harmony" 8784.430Decrease2.svg 2
New Unity 8074.070Steady2.svg
For Stability! 5702.880New
Movement For! 5632.840Decrease2.svg 1
Sovereign Power, Alliance of Young Latvians 5072.560New
Latvia First 4402.220New
Latvian Green Party 770.390New
Total19,819100.00150
Valid votes19,81998.92
Invalid/blank votes2161.08
Total votes20,035100.00
Registered voters/turnout46,02943.53
Source: Central Election Commission of Latvia

Rēzekne

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Latvia First, Together for Latvia 5,13950.958New
National Alliance, New Unity, For Latvia's Development 1,78917.743Steady2.svg
Latvian Green Party, Latvian Association of Regions, New Conservative Party 1,21112.012Decrease2.svg 1
The Progressives 4864.820Decrease2.svg 1
Latgale Party 3193.160Decrease2.svg 3
Sovereign Power, Alliance of Young Latvians 2882.860New
Social Democratic Party "Harmony" 2802.780Decrease2.svg 8
Go, Latgale! 2532.510New
Union of Greens and Farmers 2352.330New
Latvian Russian Union 870.860New
Total10,087100.00130
Valid votes10,08799.13
Invalid/blank votes890.87
Total votes10,176100.00
Registered voters/turnout10,176100.00
Source: Central Election Commission of Latvia

Rīga

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Latvia First 38,79318.2913New
The Progressives 35,49716.7411Steady2.svg
National Alliance 30,32814.3010Increase2.svg 6
New Unity 27,54812.999Decrease2.svg 1
Sovereign Power, Alliance of Young Latvians 25,91212.228New
For Stability! 14,8136.985New
United List 13,4216.334New
For Latvia's Development 9,0534.270Decrease2.svg 3
Social Democratic Party "Harmony" 7,3753.480Decrease2.svg 12
Honor to serve Riga!, Union of Greens and Farmers 5,2732.490Decrease2.svg 5
Platform 21 1,5860.750New
Self-respect, People.Land.Statehood. 7830.370New
New Conservative Party 7510.350Decrease2.svg 4
Latvian Revival Party 4990.240New
Socialist Party of Latvia 3660.170New
Centre Party 1050.050Steady2.svg
Total212,103100.00600
Valid votes212,10399.13
Invalid/blank votes1,8520.87
Total votes213,955100.00
Registered voters/turnout409,13052.30
Source: Central Election Commission of Latvia

Ventspils

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
For Latvia and Ventspils 4,35547.567Steady2.svg
National Alliance 1,55817.012Increase2.svg 1
United List, New Conservative Party 1,46716.022Increase2.svg 1
Movement For!, New Unity 7137.791Decrease2.svg 1
For Stability! 5245.721New
Sovereign Power, Alliance of Young Latvians 2222.420New
Latvia First 2192.390New
Social Democratic Party "Harmony" 991.080Steady2.svg
Total9,157100.00130
Valid votes9,15798.95
Invalid/blank votes971.05
Total votes9,254100.00
Registered voters/turnout22,93440.35
Source: Central Election Commission of Latvia

Aftermath

After the polling stations closed, problems with the ballot scanning system provided by the State Digital Development Agency (SDAA) led to a manual count, delaying the election results. Kristīne Saulīte, head of the Central Election Commission (CVK), said an investigation would be needed into the incident. On 9 June, Minister of Smart Administration and Regional Development Inga Bērziņa suspended the director of the State Digital Development Agency, Jorenu Liopu, responsible for the electoral system, from his duties. On June 11, taking responsibility for problems with information technology solutions supporting the election process, Minister I. Bērziņa herself resigned from her position. [9] On same day, the head of the Central Election Commission (CVK), Kristīne Saulīte, has nevertheless decided to resign from her position, in following day. [10]

References

  1. "Local Elections 2025" (in Latvian). Central Election Commission. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  2. Upleja, Sanita (1 June 2021). "Varakļāni paliek kā atsevišķs novads; Rēzeknes un Varakļānu novadā vēlēšanas pārceltas (plkst. 16.15)". Delfi (in Latvian). Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  3. "Law on Administrative Territories and Populated Areas, 2021 version". Likumi. Latvijas Vēstnesis. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  4. "Varakļāni, Madona municipalities merge". Public Broadcasting of Latvia . 2024-07-14. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  5. "Nosaka pašvaldību domēs ievēlējamo deputātu skaitu; mazāk būs Rēzeknes, Aizkraukles un Dobeles novadā". Public Broadcasting of Latvia (in Latvian). 2025-01-09.
  6. "Local Elections 2025" (in Latvian). Central Election Commission. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  7. "Local Elections 2025" (in Latvian). Central Election Commission. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  8. "Elections will see new-design ballot papers in Latvia". Public Broadcasting of Latvia . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  9. "Vēlēšanu nedienu dēļ no amata atkāpjas VARAM ministre Bērziņa". Public Broadcasting of Latvia . Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  10. "CVK vadītāja Saulīte tomēr Saeimai paziņo par atkāpšanos no amata". Public Broadcasting of Latvia . Retrieved 11 June 2025.