More than 11% of Latvia’s electorate voted early in the country’s parliamentary elections, which was up sharply from just over 4% in the previous elections in 2022, according to data from the Central Election Commission (CVK), LSM reported. The official election day is 3 October 2026. Early voter turnout was highest in the Vidzeme region (12.68%), followed by Riga (11.17%), Kurzeme (10.61%), Zemgale (10.27%), and Latgale (8.82%). Latvia has around 1.5 million eligible voters. Total voter turnout in 2022 was over 59%. The election process was running smoothly, CVK chairman Maris Zviedris said, LETA reported. However, he cautioned about possible technical problems. Votes will be hand-counted after earlier glitches with ballot counting machines, FPRI’s Indra Ekmanis notes. Election results are expected in the early morning hours of 4 October 2026, and the new parliament will convene on 3 November 2026.
Altogether 14 parties and candidate lists are contesting the 100 seats in the parliament, the Saeima, which is five groups fewer than in the previous elections, The Baltic Flank reports. Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs’s conservative United List is almost certain to win the elections, and his current four-party coalition is likely to continue in government. However, the far-right populist Latvia First, which has appealed to “angry Latvians,” could also enter government, Re:Baltica reports. The pro-Russian Sovereign Power has consolidated much of the support among Latvia’s Russian-speakers, while the social-democratic Progressives has captured the youth vote and the National Alliance has retained its loyal nationalist base. Meanwhile, two of Latvia’s legacy parties, the centre-right New Unity and the regionalist Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS), are both relatively close to the 5% electoral threshold.
Based on the results of the last poll before the elections, polling organisation SKDS expects altogether seven political groups to cross the 5% vote barrier to be represented in parliament, LSM reports. However, parties receiving more than 2% of the vote will still receive state funding, Baltic News Network notes. Excluding those who are still undecided and likely non-voters, United List was in clear lead with nearly 23% support. Sovereign Power was second with 14%, followed by Latvia First with 13%, the Progressives with 10%, the National Alliance with nearly 9%, New Unity with nearly 7%, and ZZS with 6.5%. However, as many as 19% of poll respondents were still undecided, and another 15% said that they would not vote at all. Including undecideds and non-voters, only five groups would get into parliament: United List, Sovereign Power, Latvia First, the Progressives, and the National Alliance.