Latvia opened five days of advance voting on Monday, 28 September, ahead of the election for the country’s 100-seat parliament on Saturday, 3 October.

Voters can deposit ballots at any of 933 polling stations in Latvia, irrespective of their declared address. Monday’s opening hours are 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed by different three-hour voting periods on each weekday through 2 October. Regular election-day voting will take place between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Centrālā vēlēšanu komisija

Fourteen parties and alliances have registered a total of 1,434 candidates. Parties must receive at least 5% of the national vote to enter the Saeima, although seats are distributed through Latvia’s five electoral constituencies.

Advance ballots are placed first in the standard sealed voting envelope and then in a registration envelope bearing the voter’s identifying information. The arrangement allows election officials to prevent duplicate voting. A person who casts an advance ballot can still vote again during the week or on election day; in that case, the earlier ballot is removed from the count and the latest vote takes precedence. Centrālā vēlēšanu komisija

Citizens aged 18 or over can vote using a valid Latvian passport or national identity card. Applications for voting at a voter’s location are available to people who cannot attend a polling station for health reasons. Latvia has also established 88 polling stations abroad, including 40 at diplomatic missions.

The election follows an unusually turbulent political year. A new coalition headed by Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs took office in May after a dispute over the government’s response to drone incursions brought down the previous administration. The current cabinet therefore faces voters after only four months in office. reuters.com

Recent polling has placed Kulbergs’ United List in the lead, but several other parties are positioned to cross the threshold. This makes coalition negotiations almost inevitable. The campaign has covered defence, household energy costs, public services and Latvia’s approach to Russian security threats, while there is little indication that the election will fundamentally reverse the country’s support for NATO, the European Union or Ukraine.

Monday’s voting should not be interpreted as an early result. Turnout figures will show how many citizens have used the advance procedure, but ballots will remain sealed until the formal count. The political balance will become clear only after polls close on Saturday.