Latvia's CVK: Vote count delayed by need to sort out repeatedly deposited ballots, first results expected around 4 a.m.

Latvia's Central Election Commission (CVK) has reported a significant delay in counting votes from the 15th Saeima parliamentary election. Counting had originally been scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. on Saturday, October 3, but actually started more than two hours later than planned.

According to the commission, the holdup stems from the need to carefully review ballots that had earlier been deposited for safekeeping. This applies to voters who cast an early ballot but later changed their minds and voted again, as well as to those who ultimately exercised their right to vote on election day itself, Saturday. In such cases, the previously deposited ballots have to be located and invalidated to prevent double voting or distortions in the final tally. Commission officials described this process informally as "fishing out" the affected ballots.

Because the volume of deposited ballots requiring review was substantial, sorting through them took longer than initially planned, pushing back the entire counting timetable.

CVK representatives said that, given the delay, the first preliminary results of the 15th Saeima election are expected around 4 a.m. Voters and political parties are awaiting the outcome with considerable interest, since it will shape the country's political direction going forward.