Once every four years, every eligible Latvian citizen has an opportunity to influence the country’s political direction, prosperity and who will be at the helm of the state. All it takes is making a choice and going to vote. Why is this so important, and what happens to votes cast for political forces that fail to cross the 5% threshold? BNN discusses these questions with political scientist Filips Rajevskis, co-founder of the company Mediju tilts.
“This is not just about saying ‘don’t stay at home’. It is very important for people to turn out for the election, especially Riga residents voting in Riga,” the political scientist says.
“Riga is a very strong constituency for parties supported by Russian-speaking voters, and we know very well that there are parties here that have always benefited precisely from Latvian voters being less active. Riga is a very large electoral district with 38 seats. So, if people are concerned about what the composition of parliament will look like, they need to come out and vote, increase participation and cast their ballot for the political force they themselves have chosen.”
Rajevskis also points out that if Riga residents care specifically about the result in the Riga electoral district, they should not leave the capital to vote in rural areas.
“That is a vote that would otherwise be lost from the Riga constituency.
Asked what incentive there is for political forces that realise they are unlikely to cross the 5% threshold but still enter the pre-election battle, Filips Rajevskis explains that parties receiving more than 2% of the vote also receive state funding, which is extremely important for a party’s future.
Votes cast for parties that do not cross the threshold are subsequently redistributed among the parties that are elected.
“If there are parties below the 5% threshold, voters themselves have to decide what they want to achieve with their vote. If you vote for a party that crosses the threshold, then it is clear that your vote will translate into parliamentary representation.”
Filips Rajevskis stresses:
“Everyone should go and vote. Don’t leave it until the last moment.”
During the week of Latvia’s 15th Saeima election, voters can still deposit their ballots for safekeeping on Friday, the 2nd of October, from 12:00 to 15:00 at any of the 933 polling stations across Latvia.
On election day, the 3rd of October, polling stations throughout Latvia will be open from 08:00 to 20:00.
Voters must bring a valid Latvian citizen’s passport or eID card. Polling station addresses and accessibility information are available on the Central Election Commission’s website.