On Thursday, 31 October, the Saeima adopted in the final reading amendments to the Elections to the European Parliament Law, thus simplifying the voting procedure for soldiers and national guards serving on international missions.

 The amendments to the Law provide for a special simplified voting procedure in the European Parliament elections for soldiers and national guards stationed abroad. The commander of the national military contingent or a person authorised by him/her will be in charge of the voting in the region of the international mission.

The Central Election Commission will organise the delivery of lists of voters, ballot papers and envelopes, as well as ballot boxes, to the places of service. After the closing of polling stations, the filled-out lists of voters, surplus envelopes and ballot boxes will immediately be sent to the Joint Headquarters of the National Armed Forces, from where they will be forwarded to the Central Election Commission.

The authors of the amendments had previously explained to the Public Administration and Local Government Committee that so far the voting procedure for participants of international missions has been inefficient because large quantities of soldiers’ passports had to be taken to the nearest diplomatic representative office of Latvia, and related formalities kept soldiers from performing their military duties.

Taking into account the decision of the Council of the European Union to change the date of European Parliament elections, the amendments to the Law also set forth that that European Parliament elections are held once in five years on the fourth Saturday of May from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Latvian time. Previously European Parliament elections were held on the first Saturday of June, and on that day polling stations were open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The amendments also set forth that voters who are in a penitentiary for security reasons or who are serving a sentence in the penitentiary will be able to vote in the penitentiary pursuant to the procedure envisaged by the Central Election Commission. Previously, voting was conducted by mail. 

Saeima Press Service