Ombudsperson: Election process in care homes ran smoothly overall

Latvia's Ombudsperson Karina Palkova has reviewed how voting rights were upheld for residents of social care centres, commonly known as nursing homes or care homes, during the 15th Saeima elections. Her conclusion was positive: the process overall ran smoothly, and elderly residents had a genuine opportunity to take part in the vote.

Why it matters

People living in long-term social care institutions are often a particularly vulnerable group when it comes to access to elections, since limited mobility or health conditions can make it difficult for them to reach a polling station or complete voting procedures independently. For this reason, the Ombudsperson's office examined how care facilities and election organisers worked to ensure these residents could still exercise their voting rights.

The finding

Following her assessment, the Ombudsperson stated that the organisation of voting within care homes met its intended purpose — enabling seniors to cast their ballots. This indicates that the institutions responsible for running the election process in such facilities largely fulfilled their obligations satisfactorily.

The conclusion forms part of the Ombudsperson's broader oversight work, which aims to ensure that all residents of Latvia, including those within the social care system, have equal access to exercising their constitutional rights, among them the right to vote.