Latvia's Saeima election sees record-low turnout, with just over half of voters taking part

Voter turnout in Latvia's 15th Saeima election, held last week to choose the national parliament, was the lowest on record. Some 51.79% of eligible voters cast ballots, and about 110,000 fewer people took part than four years earlier, according to the TV programme "Nekā personīga".

Biggest change among the diaspora

The sharpest drop was among Latvians living abroad: only about one in nine eligible voters overseas took part. This significantly affected the overall turnout figures. The programme notes that early conclusions suggest it is too soon to talk about voter apathy or about politicians failing to mobilise their supporters, and that the fall in participation cannot be explained by indifference to politics alone.

Central Election Commission's view

The low turnout was also an unpleasant surprise for the Central Election Commission (CVK), the body that organises elections, because early voting arrangements this time were especially convenient for voters.

CVK chair Māris Zviedris said Latvia is not unique in this respect. He recalled that two years ago Lithuania's parliamentary election produced a very similar turnout percentage, and that the two countries operate in fairly similar geopolitical circumstances.

Zviedris also rejected the idea that the commission is to blame for the low participation. In his words, the CVK prepares and organises the process and makes it convenient for voters, but whether people turn up to vote is, most directly, the responsibility of politicians and political parties. He also stressed that the fact that almost every second voter leaves the choice to others is a question of responsibility.