Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights LATVIA PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 3 October 2026 ODIHR NEEDS ASSESSMENT MISSION REPORT 19 - 22 May 2026 Warsaw 24 July 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1 II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................. 1 III. FINDINGS ........................................................................................................... 3 A. B ACKGROUND AND POLITICAL CONTEXT ........................................................... 3 B. L EGAL FRAMEWORK AND ELECTORAL SYSTEM .................................................. 5 C. E LECTION ADMINISTRATION ............................................................................... 6 D. V OTER REGISTRATION ........................................................................................ 7 E. V OTING METHODS .............................................................................................. 8 F. C ANDIDATE REGISTRATION ................................................................................ 8 G. E LECTION CAMPAIGN .......................................................................................... 9 H. C AMPAIGN FINANCE ......................................................................................... 11 I. M EDIA ............................................................................................................... 12 J. E LECTION DISPUTE RESOLUTION ...................................................................... 13 IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................... 14 ANNEX: LIST OF MEETINGS ............................................................................... 15
LATVIA PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report I. INTRODUCTION Following an invitation from the Latvian authorities to observe the 3 October 2026 parliamentary elections, and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) undertook a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) from 19 to 22 May. The NAM included Meaghan Fitzgerald, ODIHR Head of Election Department and Kakha Inaishvili, ODIHR Election Adviser. The purpose of the NAM was to assess the pre-electoral environment and preparations for the elections. Based on this assessment, the NAM recommends whether to deploy an ODIHR observation activity for the forthcoming elections and, if so, what type of activity best meets the identified needs. Meetings were held with officials from state and local institutions and with representatives of political parties, media, and civil society, as well as the resident international community. A full list of meetings is annexed to this report. ODIHR would like to thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its assistance and co-operation in organizing the NAM. ODIHR would also like to thank each of its interlocutors for taking the time to meet with the NAM and for sharing their views. II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Latvia is a parliamentary republic with legislative power vested in the 100-member parliament, elected for four-year terms. The 3 October parliamentary elections will take place under a newly formed government supported by a four-party coalition. Security is expected to dominate the campaign, as public attention has recently focused on defence and national security issues, alongside domestic grievances, including over government instability. The parliament will be elected through a proportional open-list system in five multi-member constituencies. To win seats, a party must obtain at least 5 per cent of the national vote. Several substantive amendments were introduced to the electoral legal framework since the 2022 parliamentary elections, including amendments expanding voting options and accessibility, revising electoral procedures, strengthening campaign oversight, introducing state-language requirements for paid campaign materials, and establishing new transparency and integrity safeguards for online campaigning and AI-generated content. Several prior ODIHR recommendations remain unaddressed, including those concerning candidacy rights, the decriminalization of defamation, and the accreditation of international and citizen observers. The three-tier election administration is led by the Central Election Commission (CEC) and comprises 42 municipal election commissions and approximately 1,000 polling station commissions, including those established abroad. Some ODIHR NAM interlocutors noted that public confidence had been affected by technical failures in the 2025 local elections and concerns related to procurement, but considered these addressed by the return to manual counting and subsequent measures. Representatives of election management bodies and other stakeholders did not anticipate major challenges in administering the parliamentary elections, although politically motivated cyber threats remain a
Latvia Page: 2 Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report concern. Following recent amendments, all ballots will be counted manually. The CEC plans to conduct a voter information campaign focused on practical aspects of voting. Citizens at least 18 years of age have the right to vote and, in line with international standards, there are no restrictions on the basis of intellectual or psycho-social disability or imprisonment. The law provides for diverse and inclusive voting methods, including homebound, early, postal and out -of-country voting as alternatives to in-person voting at regular polling stations. There are approximately 1.5 million eligible voters on the voter register. ODIHR NAM interlocutors raised no major concerns regarding the accuracy of voter lists. Citizens aged 21 or older may stand for election, except those serving prison sentences, deprived of legal capacity, or subject to certain criminal convictions or political- affiliation restrictions. Candidate lists may be submitted only by political parties and must be accompanied by an electoral deposit. Candidates may stand on the lists of parties of which they are not members. ODIHR NAM interlocutors did not raise concerns regarding candidate registration procedures. Women remain underrepresented in public and political life. The law does not require gender representation in the composition or ranking of candidate lists and none of the parties met by the ODIHR NAM reported having formal statutes or internal mechanisms to ensure women’s equal representation. Public financing rules for parties contain no requirements relating to the promotion of gender equality. Civil society interlocutors reported a recent rise in online hostility, with women in public life increasingly targeted by intolerant rhetoric and derogatory speech . Political parties met by the ODIHR NAM generally expressed satisfaction with current campaign regulations and their ability to freely convey their platforms to the electorate. The 2023 amendments introduced the requirement that paid campaign advertising in electronic media and public spaces can only be in the official language and transparency and enforcement measures for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in campaigning, including mandatory disclosure of AI-generated content and restrictions on automated campaigning through fake or anonymous social networking platform accounts. The government has intensified efforts to counter potential foreign interference in the electoral campaign through an inter-institutional working group that monitors online and social media activity and provides related measures to strengthen resilience. The law provides for private and public financing, overseen by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB). Parties are subject to disclosure requirements, and contributions from legal entities, anonymous donors and foreign sources are prohibited. While interlocutors generally expressed confidence in the professionalism and impartiality of the KNAB’s oversight, several raised concerns about its focus on minor compliance issues at the expense of more consequential matters, its slow response to third- party and NGO-funded campaigning, and a regulatory gap allowing undisclosed donations to NGOs, including from companies and foreign donors , even though KNAB may request funding information from NGOs. The legal framework guarantees freedom of expression and access to information and prohibits censorship, though defamation remains a criminal offence, contrary to prior ODIHR recommendations . The professional environment for journalists is generally safe, yet online harassment and threats continue to affect women journalists in particular. The public broadcaster is required to provide free airtime and extensive election coverage, including debates and content in several languages, while private broadcasters carrying political advertising must apply equal conditions to all campaigners. Media oversight rests with the National Electronic Mass Media Council, which monitors compliance with election-related media regulations and co-operates with other institutions to address emerging challenges, including information manipulation.
Latvia Page: 3 Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report The legal framework provides for judicial review of election-related decisions, including on candidate registration and election results, within expedited deadlines. While ODIHR NAM interlocutors raised no concerns regarding access to effective and timely remedies, only contestants may challenge decisions on candidate registration and results, contrary to international good practice. Most ODIHR NAM interlocutors expressed confidence in the legal framework for elections and noted the overall professionalism and impartiality of the election administration and its ability to efficiently organize elections. All ODIHR NAM interlocutors welcomed an ODIHR observation activity, recognizing the value and importance of an external assessment in improving the electoral process. In this context, areas identified by interlocutors that could benefit from review include the implementation of the amended legal framework; administration of elections, including issues related to voter registration; the conduct and oversight of the campaign; campaign finance regulations and the media coverage of the elections. In addition, the participation of national minorities, women, youth, and persons with disabilities in the electoral process would benefit from further scrutiny. On this basis, the ODIHR NAM recommends deploying an Election Assessment Mission for the upcoming parliamentary elections. III. FINDINGS A. B ACKGROUND AND POLITICAL CONTEXT Latvia is a parliamentary republic with legislative power vested in the 100-member unicameral parliament (Saeima). Executive power is exercised by the government, led by a prime minister. The president serves as Head of State and is elected through an open, absolute-majority parliamentary vote for a maximum of two four-year terms. Following the 2022 parliamentary elections, seven parties gained representation in the parliament, with New Unity emerging as the largest party with 26 seats. 1 In September 2023, after the prime minister resigned amid coalition disputes, Ms. Evika Siliņa of New Unity became the second woman to head a government, forming a majority coalition with the Union of Greens and Farmers and the Progressives. During its term, the government faced an election-management crisis in the aftermath of the June 2025 local elections, when nationwide-deployed automated ballot-counting technologies suffered major failures, delaying results and raising public concern over the reliability of the election- management infrastructure, and leading to the resignation of the responsible minister and the CEC chairperson. 2 In March 2026, following related concerns over IT procurement referenced by the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the parliament amended the election law to provide for fully manual counting in the upcoming elections. On 14 May 2026, Prime Minister Siliņa announced her resignation after the Progressives withdrew from the governing coalition in response to her dismissal of the Minister of Defence, a member of the 1 The other parties received the following number of seats: the Union of Greens and Farmers (16 seats), the United List (15), the National Alliance (13), For Stability! (11), the Progressives (10), and Latvia First (9). During the parliamentary term, the faction For Stability!, shrank through resignations and expulsions and was dissolved in February 2026 after falling below the five-member minimum. Six parliamentary groups remain, alongside several unaffiliated members. 2 The director of the State Digital Development Agency was also suspended pending investigations into the procurement and operation of the systems. President Rinkēvičs publicly called for a return to manual counting to provide unequivocal assurance of the integrity of the elections, and the amendments were adopted on 26 March 2026.
Latvia Page: 4 Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report Progressives party. 3 Following consultations with the parliamentary parties, President Edgars Rinkēvičs nominated Andris Kulbergs of the United List as prime minister-designate. On 28 May, the parliament confirmed his government by a confidence vote of 66 of 100 MPs, concluding the formation of a four- party coalition comprising New Unity, the National Alliance, the United List and the Union of Greens and Farmers, with the Progressives moving into opposition. The newly formed government will serve for about five months, until the new parliament is sworn in following the 3 October elections. The ODIHR NAM was informed that, ahead of these elections, state institutions had stepped up measures against foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). This response was prompted by the growing use of artificial intelligence and synthetic media, continued regional security concerns, at times involving serious attempts at foreign disinformation, and interference witnessed during recent elections elsewhere in Europe. The State Chancellery leads this work through an inter - institutional working group on foreign interference. 4 ODIHR NAM interlocutors were of the opinion that hostile narratives are mainly aimed at lowering turnout and eroding confidence in the electoral process, rather than to favour any particular contestant. Authorities also reported close co- operation with the European Commission, including through requests for operational support in detecting and monitoring co-ordinated inauthentic behaviour and manipulated or AI -generated content. Women remain underrepresented in public and political life. 5 They currently hold 37 of the 100 seats in parliament, which is chaired by a woman Speaker, the fifth to hold the office, and 2 of 13 ministerial positions in the new cabinet, while 4 of the 7 judges of the Constitutional Court, including its President, are women. 6 At the same time, civil society interlocutors met by the ODIHR NAM reported that in recent years they had observed a rise in online abuse , with women in public life, including women journalists and activists, increasingly targeted by online intolerant rhetoric and derogatory speech. 7 ODIHR has observed eight elections in Latvia since 1998. 8 For the 2022 parliamentary elections, ODIHR deployed an Election Assessment Mission. The final report issued in April 2023 contained 15 recommendations on improving the electoral process and to bring it in line with OSCE commitments. 9 3 The minister was dismissed over the government’s handling of a series of drone incursions into Latvian airspace in early May, reportedly involving Ukrainian drones allegedly jammed and diverted by Russian forces, including one that crashed at an empty fuel storage facility in eastern Latvia. The coalition’s collapse was the culmination of months of mounting tensions, traceable to late 2025 when public protests erupted over a parliamentary debate on Latvia’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. 4 The working group, which reports to the Cabinet, co-ordinates information-sharing on foreign interference, mitigation measures, the resilience and security of electoral IT systems, and strategic communications. It meets monthly, with weekly meetings planned in the run-up to election day, and its membership was recently expanded to include the national Digital Services Coordinator (the Consumer Rights Protection Centre), responsible for overseeing implementation of the Digital Services Act and the removal of illegal online content. 5 The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, in its 2020 Concluding Observations, has recommended authorities to “[a]dopt and apply temporary special measures to promote the substantive equality of women and men in all areas in which women are underrepresented or disadvantaged, such as participation in political and public life […] including requiring political parties to introduce quotas for women candidates, to increase the participation of women, in particular rural women, women belonging to ethnic minority groups, women with disabilities [… and] Roma women”. See also UN Human Rights Committee’s 2025 Concluding Observations on the fourth periodic report of Latvia paragraphs 17-18. 6 See 2025 Inter-parliamentary Union data on ranking of women in national parliaments. 7 In its 2025 Concluding Observations on the fourth periodic report of Latvia, the UN Human Rights Committee, while welcoming the measures taken by the State party to combat hate crimes and hate speech, expressed concern at reports of a rise in incidents of hate speech, including by members of parliament. It recommended that the authorities take effective measures to publicly condemn and punish hate speech, in particular by politicians and high-level officials. 8 See previous ODIHR election-related reports on Latvia. 9 In paragraph 25 of the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Document, OSCE participating States committed themselves “to follow up promptly the ODIHR’s election assessment and recommendations”.
Latvia Page: 5 Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report B. L EGAL FRAMEWORK AND ELECTORAL SYSTEM Parliamentary elections are primarily regulated by the Constitution, the Law on Parliamentary Elections, the Law on the Pre-Election Campaign, the Law on the Central Election Commission (CEC), and the Electoral Register Law. 10 Latvia is a party to major international agreements laying the basis for democratic elections. 11 The legal framework for parliamentary elections was most recently amended in 2024, 2025 and 2026. The 2025 amendments to the Law on Parliamentary Elections introduced a range of changes, including allowing advance voting at any polling station in Latvia; extending the registration period for candidate- lists; increasing the electoral deposit for candidate lists and linking it to the minimum monthly wage; revising ballot design and marking procedures; extending the maximum length of official election programmes; simplifying postal- voting procedures through the e-government portal; strengthening accessibility measures; standardizing polling-station opening hours; and introducing a number of technical and administrative changes to the election administration. 12 In March 2026, the law was further amended to require manual counting of ballots, replacing the previously envisaged use of automated ballot scanners. The legal framework for pre- election campaigning was amended in 2023, with the changes entering into force in 2024. The amendments introduced a range of measures, including requiring that paid pre- election campaign materials disseminated in electronic media, online and in public spaces can only be presented in the official language including Latgalian and Livonian, with compliance monitored by the State Language Centre. 13 The amendments also granted the State Language Centre competence to investigate related administrative offences alongside the anti-corruption bureau, the broadcasting regulator and the police. The amendments also confined state- funded election programming to public service media while preserving the possibility for commercial broadcasters to carry paid political advertising; increased administrative sanctions for violations; introduced a transparency requirement for campaign materials using AI-generated representations of persons or events that do not correspond to reality; prohibited the dissemination of campaign material through automated systems using fake or anonymous social networking accounts. 10 Other applicable laws are the Law on Political Parties, the Law on Financing of Political Organizations, the Law on Local Government Election Commissions and Polling Station Commissions, the Law on Identity Documents, the Pre-election Campaign Law, legislation regulating administrative and criminal proceedings and the media, as well as CEC decisions and instructions. 11 These include among others the 1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1979 UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 2003 UN Convention against Corruption, and 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Latvia is also party to the 1950 European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) and the 1998 Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM), and is a member of the Council of Europe’s European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) and Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). 12 Further, amendments increased the minimum membership requirements for political parties and alliances, although these changes will apply only from the 2030 elections. 13 The related amendments were subsequently challenged before Constitutional Court. In its judgment of 13 February 2025, th Court held that the obligation to conduct paid pre-election campaigning in the official language was compatible with the Constitution. While recognising that this requirement restricts freedom of expression, the Court concluded that it was justified by the prevailing geopolitical and security context. In particular, it noted that Russian information/influence operations are directed especially at states holding elections. Given Latvia’s location bordering the Russian Federation, the Court considered that such operations could exploit campaigning conducted in languages other than Latvian.
Latvia Page: 6 Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report A number of previous ODIHR recommendations remain unaddressed, including those related to candidacy rights, the decriminalization of defamation, and the accreditation of international and citizen observers. The parliament is elected for a four-year term through a proportional open list system in five multi- member constituencies. 14 The number of members of parliament to be elected in each of the five constituencies is determined prior to each election by the CEC, in proportion to the number of voters in the constituency as registered in the register of natural persons four months prior to election day. Voters can express a preference for a candidate by voting “for” or “against” a candidate. Voters can express support or reject as many candidates as they wish on the ballot of the party they vote for. The number of votes for each candidate within the list is calculated by adding the number of votes received by the list in that constituency to the number of positive marks minus the number of negative marks for the candidate. Candidates with the highest number of votes within the list win the seats allocated to that party list. 15 Party lists must pass a five per cent nationwide threshold to be eligible for seats, which are allocated on the constituency level. 16 C. E LECTION ADMINISTRATION Elections are managed by a three-tier administration, led by the CEC, 42 city and municipal election commissions (MEC) and around 1,000 polling station commissions (PSC), including those organized for voters abroad. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) establishes polling stations at diplomatic missions and other locations abroad based on data from the electronic voter register. For these elections, 40 polling stations were established in 37 countries. In addition, the CEC, in co-operation with the MFA and the World Federation of Free Latvians, set up 48 polling stations in 13 countries. All votes cast abroad are allocated to the Riga constituency. The CEC is a permanent body responsible for the overall conduct of elections and referenda. It comprises 9 members, of whom 6 are women (including the deputy- chair). 17 ODIHR NAM interlocutors generally expressed confidence in the professionalism and impartiality of the election management bodies at all levels and did not anticipate major challenges in administering these elections. Several interlocutors noted that public confidence was affected by the technical failures during the 2025 local elections and the recent procurement concerns, but considered that the return to manual counting and the measures taken since have addressed these concerns. MECs organize elections in their municipalities, including co-ordinating the PSCs, providing technical assistance and resolving complaints. They comprise 7 to 15 members elected by the respective local council following municipal elections. PSCs are established by the relevant MEC ahead of each election and comprise five to seven members. MEC and PSC members may be nominated by registered parties or coalitions, by a group of ten voters, or, in the case of MECs, by deputies of the local council; MEC members may also nominate PSC members. There are no legal requirements for gender or ethnic representation in election management bodies. The CEC will conduct seminars and training for lower- level commissions from mid-July, with practical preparatory work scheduled for the last week of August. 14 The five constituencies are Riga, Kurzeme, Latgale, Vidzeme, and Zemgale. 15 If two or more candidates receive an equal number of votes, they are ranked in the same order as on the ballot. 16 Seats are allocated using the Sainte-Laguë method, whereby each party’s vote total is divided by a series of odd- number divisors (1, 3, 5, 7, etc.), and seats are awarded sequentially according to the highest resulting quotients until all seats have been allocated. 17 The parliament elects the chair and seven members within six months of its convocation, and one member is selected by the Supreme Court from among the judges.
Latvia Page: 7 Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report Following the recent amendment, ballot counting will be conducted manually, without the use of ballot scanners. 18 Throughout election day, turnout data will be published on the CEC website as polling stations submit them. Results established at polling stations are subsequently verified by the relevant municipal commission, and preliminary results will be published on the CEC website on election night as they arrive. 19 The ODIHR NAM was informed that while manual counting may slow the process at larger polling stations by a couple of hours, the CEC does not consider this problematic, as recent experience with manual counting in the 2024 European Parliament elections and partial manual counting in the 2025 local elections has familiarized poll workers with the procedure. Following a recent institutional reorganization, responsibility for IT services supporting the elections was formally transferred from the CEC to the State Digital Development Agency, which now manages and maintains the election information systems. The ODIHR NAM was informed that politically motivated cyber threats, particularly denial-of-service attacks targeting communications channels or access points, are among the main concerns for stakeholders. However, robust technical and security measures are in place to ensure the integrity and resilience of the election information systems. The central systems are protected by defence mechanisms against such attacks, and contingency measures are in place. 20 The security measures have been reviewed and tested by state security institutions and the national cyber emergency response team, including through third- party penetration and performance testing. The CEC informed the ODIHR NAM that, in order to tailor its voter information campaign to actual needs, it conducts pre-election surveys to assess voter attitudes. The campaign focuses on general awareness of the elections and on frequently asked practical questions, such as where and how to vote, and how to mark the ballot. 21 It will run across television, radio, and internet-based resources. D. V OTER REGISTRATION Citizens at least 18 years of age have the right to vote. There are no restrictions based on intellectual or psychosocial disability and prisoners are allowed to vote as well. Voter registration is passive and the Electronic Online Voter Register system is managed and processed by the Ministry of Interior’s Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs. 22 Voters can verify their registration through the governmental e-services portal and can appeal their inclusion, refusal to include or removal in court. 23 There are approximately 1.5 million eligible voters in the register. As in previous elections, voters may cast their ballots on election day at any polling station in the country. Voter identity is verified electronically by scanning or manually entering the personal number 18 During the June 2025 municipal elections, Latvia deployed automated ballot- scanning and vote-counting technologies on a nationwide scale for the first time. The systems experienced major technical failures, forcing the CEC to abandon automated counting procedures and revert to manual counting in numerous polling stations. The breakdown caused substantial delays in announcing results and triggered widespread public and political concern regarding the reliability of election-management technical infrastructure. 19 After preliminary results are published, the CEC will review them on its own initiative or upon request from other institutions, voters, or parties. 20 Central systems are hosted across separate data centres to ensure continuity in case of incidents. 21 The amendments introduced changes to ballot- marking procedures, replacing the previous "plus/minus" marks within a single square with separate columns for positive and negative (“for” and “against”) votes. The overall ballot format otherwise remains similar to the version redesigned last year. The ODIHR NAM was informed that the redesign was considered a success, as the share of invalid ballots was very low. 22 The changes for citizens who turn 18 years of age on election day are introduced 45 days before election day. The initial online voter register is prepared not later than 35 days before election day. 23 The deadline for extraction of the final voter list from the Register is seven days before election day and no further modifications are possible.
Latvia Page: 8 Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report or document number from the voter’s ID card or passport into software installed on designated devices. The software connects in real time to a centralized electronic voter list and marks every voter checking in at a polling station. In the event of a disruption or unavailability of the electronic voter register, the PSC must register voters in a separate paper voter list and permit them to cast a provisional ballot in secrecy envelopes, which is deposited in a separate ballot box. 24 After restoration of the electronic system, the PSC verifies whether the voter has voted elsewhere. Ballots cast by voters not recorded as having voted elsewhere are counted; duplicate votes are annulled to prevent multiple voting. No major concerns were raised by ODIHR NAM interlocutors regarding accuracy of voter lists, however some interlocutors appeared to be unaware of the fallback mechanism for voting in case of malfunction of voter identification software and therefore had related concerns. There is a sizable part of Latvia’s population (non-citizen residents), mainly consisting of persons identifying as belonging to national minorities. The ODIHR NAM was informed that the number of such residents has been decreasing steadily, with roughly 1,000 people acquiring citizenship each year through naturalization. The current number of non- citizens stands at approximately 167,000. No legislative changes affecting their participation in elections have been introduced ahead of these elections. E. V OTING METHODS The law provides for various voting methods as alternatives to in-person voting at regular polling stations, with recent legal amendments introducing several improvements. Special voting arrangements are available for specific groups of voters. Voters unable to attend a polling station due to health issues, along with their caretakers, may register to vote at home, in hospitals, or in retirement homes. 25 Voting is also facilitated in prisons and for soldiers and national guardsmen on international service. Following the amendments, early (advance) voting is now available at all polling stations across Latvia over several days, whereas previously it was offered only at designated polling stations. Votes cast early may also be recast before or on election day. 26 For these elections, postal voting has been streamlined into a self-service system whereby a voter may print ballots themselves, eliminating the need to mail paper materials. Accessibility has been improved through the introduction of new audio information requirements on the CEC website and at polling stations. Voters with physical disabilities can now also request assistance from poll workers, in addition to persons of their choice. F. C ANDIDATE REGISTRATION Citizens who are at least 21 years old may stand as candidates. Persons serving a prison sentence or deprived of legal capacity by a court are ineligible, as are those previously convicted of an unexpunged “intentional crime” or a crime committed in a “state of mental incapacity or diminished mental capacity.” Restrictions also apply to persons with certain previous political affiliations. 27 Although there 24 See CEC Instruction for the Operation of the Polling Station Commission in the Saeima Elections for more details. 25 Requests for homebound voting may be submitted at the nearest polling station or at the MEC. For hospitals and retirement homes, registration is managed by the administration of the respective location. 26 The initial vote is not counted if the voter casts a new ballot before or on election day. 27 Citizens who belong or have belonged to the staff of the security service or intelligence of a foreign country, the Soviet Union or the former Latvian Soviet Republic, or who have been active members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union or the Communist Party of Latvia after January 1991. ODIHR has previously recommended reconsidering these restrictions.
Latvia Page: 9 Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report are no linguistic requirements for candidacy, the parliament’s rules of procedure envisage a certain level of competence in Latvian, and provides a mechanism to remove deputies found to lack it. 28 Candidate lists may only be submitted by political parties and need to be submitted together with a security deposit of EUR 4,680 which has increased from EUR 1,400 following recent amendments. 29 Political parties with fewer than 500 members and those that registered less than one year prior to the elections are not eligible to submit candidate lists. The submission of candidate lists is scheduled to take place from 20 June to 5 July and decisions on registration are to take place from 21 June to 11 July. Persons holding certain public positions identified by law as incompatible with candidacy must submit documents to the CEC confirming their resignation from such a position within one month from the submission of registration documents. 30 Candidates may contest the elections on lists of parties of which they are not a member. ODIHR NAM interlocutors did not express any concerns regarding the candidate registration process. No legal requirements exist for gender representation in the composition or order of candidate lists, though some ODIHR NAM interlocutors suggested introducing vertical parity or a “zipper system” to promote the inclusion of women. Most political parties met by the ODIHR NAM said they would select candidates primarily on merit, while taking gender representation into account when nominating their lists. However, none reported having formal party statutes, quotas, or other internal mechanisms aimed at ensuring the equal representation of women on candidate lists. 31 The public financing mechanisms for parties do not include any requirements related to promoting gender equality. G. E LECTION CAMPAIGN The official campaign begins 120 days before election day and ends with a silence period the day before the elections. 32 The Law on the Pre-Election Campaign regulates campaigning, including access to and use of electronic and print media, campaign advertising on the internet, and campaigning in public spaces and the use of printed campaign materials. 33 It also sets disclosure requirements for campaigners and service providers: paid political messaging in traditional and online formats must contain imprint data, while hidden or undisclosed advertising and the abuse of state resources for political purposes are prohibited. The law provides for administrative sanctions, including warnings and fines, for campaign- related offences. 28 See Articles 18.2.2 and 131 2 of the parliament's rules of procedure. According to the Latvian Centre for Human Rights’ 2024 report, th State Language Centre conducted Latvian language proficiency checks of two MPs from the Stability! parliamentary faction. One MP was found to have insufficient proficiency and was fined, while another was referred for a proficiency assessment following a request by several MPs. 29 Whereas the previous deposit was fixed at EUR 1,400, the amended framework linked the deposit amount to the statutory minimum monthly wage and set the standard level at eleven minimum monthly wages. Transitional provisions established a lower temporary threshold of six minimum monthly wages for the parliamentary election cycle in order to avoid a sudden increase before the 2026 elections. 30 Applicable for the president, the auditor general, members of the Council of the State Audit Office, ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary, Constitutional Court judges, prosecutors, police officers, and members of the military. 31 The UN Human Rights Committee it its 2025 Concluding Observations on the fourth periodic report of Latvia noted that “[t]he Committee is concerned about the underrepresentation of women in political life, including at the local level, and by the fact that that most political parties have not adopted targeted measures to promote the participation of women in electoral processes.” 32 It is prohibited to campaign on election day and the day prior, whether in person or in print and electronic media (including online, except for contestant websites). The placement of campaign advertising in electronic mass media is prohibited for 30 days prior to the elections, except to announce meetings with voters. These prohibitions do not apply to editorial programs of electronic media, nor to programs which are not sponsored by electoral contestants. 33 Public entities that allocate space to contestants to hold meetings with voters must provide equal conditions for all contestants. The Corruption Prevention and Combatting Bureau (KNAB) publishes price lists of entities providing commercial spaces for political advertising.
Latvia Page: 10 Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report Following the 2023 amendments, all paid pre-election advertising in public media, including online, and in public spaces can only be in the official language s, including in Latgalian and Livonian languages. ODIHR has in previous election reports criticized restrictions aimed at prohibiting the use of non- European Union languages in pre-election campaigns. Political parties and some other interlocutors met by the ODIHR NAM did not express major concerns about the language-related amendments, noting that contestants remain free to communicate with voters in person in minority languages. They anticipated no significant controversy over this requirement, observing that comparable rules had applied in earlier municipal and European Parliament elections. 34 The recent amendments also required clear disclosure of campaign materials that use artificial intelligence to depict persons or events not corresponding to reality, prohibited automated campaigning through fake or anonymous social networking accounts, and empowered the anti -corruption bureau to halt the further dissemination of non- compliant material. Some ODIHR NAM interlocutors identified artificial intelligence as a significant and growing threat to democratic processes, citing the proximity of the war in Ukraine and pervasive foreign interference in the region. Particular concern was expressed that voters are increasingly turning to AI tools, including for voting advice and while established Western platforms were seen as applying some ethical safeguards, greater concern was voiced about freely available platforms perceived as state- linked and operating without comparable safeguards. These interlocutors advocated for regulation, user authentication to exclude bots, and, in the absence of ethical standards, possible restrictions at the EU level. Political parties met by the ODIHR NAM generally expressed satisfaction with the current campaign regulations and with their ability to convey their programmes freely to the electorate. The campaign is expected to be dominated by security and defence issues, alongside the rising cost of living, energy prices, healthcare, welfare, and immigration. Other anticipated topics included the future of the state- owned airline, major regional infrastructure projects, and the potential withdrawal from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. 35 Some interlocutors noted a general absence of substantive new policy ideas and a prevalence of personal attacks and of intolerant or sexist rhetoric. 36 Political parties indicated that they intend to use a variety of campaign methods, combining print, outdoor advertising, and online channels tailored to different age groups. Television advertising was seen as prohibitively expensive, and restrictions due to EU regulation on transparency and targeting of political advertising have led parties to rely more on in- person meetings and other traditional means of campaigning. Some interlocutors also observed that the absence of paid political advertising on certain social media platforms disadvantages certain parties, as platform algorithms reportedly favour more polarising content and thereby the parties that pursue attention through it. Political parties are not legally required to make campaign materials and events accessible for persons with disabilities through use of sign language interpretation, easy- to-read versions of party programmes 34 ODIHR NAM interlocutors noted that the measure followed an earlier rule allowing state party funding to be used only for advertising in the official language, and noted that the vast majority of the population understands Latvian. 35 Latvia ratified the Convention in 2023. In October 2025, however, the Saeima adopted a law denouncing the Convention, with supporters of withdrawal arguing that Latvian law already provided adequate protection against domestic violence and objecting to the Convention’s concept of gender. On 30 October 2025, the withdrawal law was approved after extensive parliamentary debate. President Rinkēvičs subsequently exercised his constitutional power to return the law for reconsideration, arguing that such a significant decision should be assessed more carefully and noting that Latvia would become the first European Union Member State to withdraw from the treaty. On 5 November 2025, the Saeima referred the draft back to the Foreign Affairs Committee and set 1 November 2026 as the deadline for amendments, thereby deferring the final decision to the next Saeima. 36 Interlocutors described related practices mainly on social networking and messaging platforms while a few interlocutors pointed to instances of intolerant rhetoric targeting women in particular.
Latvia Page: 11 Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report or other formats to promote greater inclusion. While ODIHR NAM interlocutors welcomed improvements in physical accessibility, they noted that persons with disabilities continue to face challenges in participating in political campaigns due to limited accessibility. H. C AMPAIGN FINANCE Political party and campaign finance are primarily regulated by the Law on Financing of Political Organisations and the Pre-election Campaign Law. The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) oversees compliance with party financing and campaign finance regulations, including campaign expenditures, donation and reporting requirements. The legal framework governing campaign and political finance remained largely stable. Recent amendments to the Law on Financing of Political Organisations modified the formula for the allocation of state funding to political parties, including the distribution of public funding among eligible parties and allocated additional support for parties represented in parliament. The law provides for a mixed system of private and public financing. Political parties receiving state funding are subject to specific accounting and reporting obligations concerning the use of public funds. State funding for political parties is allocated on the basis of previous electoral results. Political parties that receive at least 2 per cent of the vote in parliamentary elections are entitled to state funding, while parties represented in parliament receive an additional annual allocation of EUR 156,000. An appeal process is available whereby administrative decisions of the KNAB may be challenged through administrative procedures and, where applicable, before the administrative courts. P arties may receive private contributions from individuals, membership and admission fees, and income derived from their economic activities. To prevent circumvention of the financing rules, donations, membership fees and admission fees made by an individual may not exceed 30 per cent of that person's income in the previous calendar year and are subject to statutory limits. Cash donations are permitted up to a cumulative amount of EUR 780 per donor per calendar year. Contributions exceeding this amount must be made through a bank transfer to the party’s account to ensure transparency and traceability. Donations from legal entities, anonymous donors and foreign sources are prohibited. Campaign expenditure limits are prescribed by law and published by KNAB before each election. Third-party campaigners are also subject to financial regulation, with expenditures capped at 15 minimum monthly wages during the pre-election campaign period. At the same time, ODIHR NAM interlocutors identified donations to NGOs as a regulatory gap: such donations are not publicly disclosed and may be made by companies and foreign donors, although KNAB may request information from NGOs on their sources of funding when exercising oversight of campaign and party finances. The transparency of campaign finance is facilitated by legal requirements for political parties to report donations, campaign advertising contracts and campaign expenditures. Donations are reported through an electronic reporting system maintained by the KNAB. Political parties and their advertising service providers are required to submit corresponding contractual information separately, enabling the KNAB to cross-check the data for accuracy. 37 Election contestants are required to submit a declaration of campaign income and expenditure within 30 days following the election. Within six months of the reporting deadline, the KNAB reviews and publishes a consolidated campaign finance report covering all contestants, including information on campaign finance violations and sanctions imposed. The law 37 Providers of advertising services in public places and on the internet must submit their campaign-period advertising rates to the KNAB no later than 150 days before election day. The campaign pricing per company is available on KNAB’s website. Advertising prices in electronic media are submitted to the National Council of Electronic Media. Failure by providers to submit price lists within the prescribed timeframe prohibits them from selling campaign materials and space, whereby sales at higher or lower prices than indicated are also prohibited.
Latvia Page: 12 Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report does not require the publication of all administrative sanctioning decisions, although decisions prohibiting further campaign activities are made public. Following legal amendments, the KNAB was granted additional powers related to the regulation of AI- generated campaign content. These include monitoring compliance with disclosure requirements applicable to AI-generated paid political advertising, assessing campaign materials suspected of having been generated using artificial intelligence, ordering the removal or suspension of non-compliant campaign materials, and investigating prohibited online campaigning practices, including the use of certain automated or inauthentic accounts. 38 Some ODIHR NAM interlocutors, however, questioned whether KNAB had the capacity to enforce disclosure markings on campaign content and the prompt removal of AI-generated deepfakes. Overall, ODIHR NAM interlocutors expressed confidence in the professionalism and impartiality of the KNAB’s campaign finance oversight; however, several raised concerns about KNAB’s emphasis on minor compliance issues at the expense of more consequential matters, as well as its slow response to third-party and NGO-funded campaigning. I. M EDIA The legal framework guarantees freedom of expression and access to information and prohibits censorship; defamation, however, remains a criminal offence, despite prior ODIHR recommendations. The media landscape comprises public and commercial television and radio, a shrinking but still active print sector, and a dynamic online segment, with content available in both Latvian and Russian, reflecting the sizeable number of people who use Russian as their primary language of communication.. Longstanding concerns about the high concentration of media-ownership persist, reflecting the small size and oligopolistic structure of the media market. 39 The professional environment for journalists remains generally safe, although online harassment and threats continue to pose challenges, particularly for women journalists. 40 The legal framework governing media coverage and political advertising did not undergo significant changes ahead of parliamentary elections. Draft amendments to the Pre- Election Campaign Law, intended to implement EU Regulation 2024/900 on the transparency and targeting of political advertising, remain under consideration; they would designate KNAB and the National Electronic Mass Media Council ( NEPLP) as the competent supervisory authorities, with KNAB responsible for political advertising online, in print and in public spaces, and the NEPLP for such advertising in electronic media. T he Latvian Public Service Media (PSM) is required to provide each contesting party with a total of 40 minutes of free airtime, allocated by lot among applicants, while private broadcasters carrying political advertising must apply equal conditions to all campaigners. 41 The PSM informed the ODIHR NAM that it plans national, regional and leaders' debates, along with a series of expert-led radio debates, organised 38 The KNAB must obtain an expert opinion before determining whether paid campaign material was generated using artificial intelligence and taking enforcement action. Such expertise may be sought from academic institutions and other competent bodies, including the Latvian Artificial Intelligence Centre, a national AI co-ordination body established in 2025. 39 See 2025 country report Monitoring Media Pluralism in the European Union: Results of the MPM2025 . 40 Of note, a Ministry of Culture 2025 study on journalists’ safety found that women journalists are disproportionately exposed to threats, harassment and online attacks, including sexualised abuse. The study also identified journalists working in Russian-language media, as well as regional and local media professionals, as particularly vulnerable to threats and intimidation. Latvia transposed the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive in 2026 through the Law on the Protection of Persons Involved in the Public Interest. The legislation introduces procedural safeguards against abusive proceedings targeting public participation. See also European Commission 2025 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on Latvia. Page 13. See also the Latvian Centre for Human Rights’ 2024 report, page 26. 41 In 2024, the Latvian Television and Latvian Radio merged into a single Public Service Media (PSM), which began operations on 1 January 2025.
Latvia Page: 13 Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report so that each contestant has an opportunity to participate at least once. Participation in certain regional debates is limited to parties meeting a minimum threshold of support in opinion polls. 42 The ODIHR NAM was informed that election-related content on PSM will be made available in several formats and languages: Russian- language news and analytical content distributed primarily through PSM’s online portal and YouTube Channel, additional material envisaged in English and Ukrainian, as well as sign-language interpretation for the main debate. Information on candidates and voting procedures will be available on both the CEC and PSM websites. There are no specific accessibility standards for electoral content, but the Electronic Mass Media Law obliges electronic media to improve the accessibility of their services progressively, and to report annually to the NEPLP. The NEPLP is an independent authority with responsibility for the regulation and oversight of private and public broadcasts and other electronic media, including on-demand audiovisual services, and certain online content. During election periods, the NEPLP issues guidance and educational tools for electronic media, publishes media outlets’ price lists for political advertising, and conducts monitoring of the regulatory compliance of broadcast media and the content of political programmes. 43 The NEPLP monitors, among others, hidden campaigning, the placement of campaign materials, the balance of coverage of contestants and views, the accuracy and neutrality of coverage, and compliance with rules on political advertising, including sponsorship identification. It publishes monthly monitoring reports and a final report after the campaign period. Where violations are identified, the NEPLP may initiate administrative proceedings, notify the KNAB, issue warnings, or make its findings public; breaches of rules on campaign materials and record-keeping may result in fines. The NEPLP has no direct competence to act against disinformation or FIMI, addressing such content only through general monitoring of compliance with the law, including on intolerant speech. However, it co-operates with the CEC, KNAB, the State Chancellery and other institutions, including through a joint working group and with the rapid exchange of information. Monitoring of social networking platforms likewise falls outside its direct competence, although the NEPLP carried out such monitoring during the 2024 European Parliament campaign, jointly with other EU electronic- media regulators; that exercise found that not all political advertisements were labelled as such. 44 J. E LECTION DISPUTE RESOLUTION CEC decisions to register or disqualify candidates or lists of candidates, or to dismiss an already registered candidate, may be appealed by the aggrieved party to the District Administrative Court, whose rulings are final. Contestants have the right to challenge polling station results to the CEC, whose decisions can be appealed to the Supreme Court, which is the last instance. Contrary to good practice, only contestants can appeal CEC decisions on election results and on the registration of candidates. All other decisions taken by election commissions, including on voter registration, the election campaign, campaign finance, and media-related matters, can be appealed through ordinary administrative procedures by the persons whose rights have been affected, and are not subject to expedited deadlines. Deadlines for the submission and adjudication of appeals of certain decisions of election management bodies specified in the Law on Parliamentary Elections provide for three calendar days to file the complaint, which should be adjudicated by the relevant court within seven calendar days. There is no possibility of further appeal of the court’s decision to higher judicial instances. ODIHR NAM interlocutors raised no concerns regarding access to or the timeliness of remedies. 42 Some private TV channels are also expected to organize debates closer to election day. 43 The NEPLP has published the price lists for political advertising in these elections in television and radio broadcasters as well as for on-demand video services and online portals. 44 The monitoring was conducted under the Code of Practice and reflected in the 2019 report of ERGA (now the European Board for Media Services); the platforms monitored included X, Facebook and Google.
Latvia Page: 14 Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Most ODIHR NAM interlocutors expressed confidence in the legal framework for elections and noted the overall professionalism and impartiality of the election administration and its ability to efficiently organize elections. All ODIHR NAM interlocutors welcomed an ODIHR observation activity, recognizing the value and importance of an external assessment in improving the electoral process. In this context, areas identified by interlocutors that could benefit from review include the implementation of the amended legal framework; administration of elections, including issues related to voter registration; the conduct and oversight of the campaign; campaign finance regulations and the media coverage of the elections. In addition, the participation of national minorities, women, youth, and persons with disabilities in the electoral process would benefit from further scrutiny. On this basis, the ODIHR NAM recommends deploying an Election Assessment Mission for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Latvia Page: 15 Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026 ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report ANNEX: LIST OF MEETINGS Ministry of Foreign Affairs Renārs Danelsons, Acting Director of International Organisations and Human Rights Department. Evija Rimšāne, First Secretary, the Consular Services Division Mārtiņš M. Gelažis, Senior Desk Officer, International Organisations Division Strategic Communication Coordination Department, State Chancellery Solvita Denisa-Liepniece, Head of Department Egita Diure, Deputy Head of Department Eliza Burmistre-Griffiths, StratCom Analyst Ministry of Interior, Office for Citizenship and Migration Affairs Uldis Apsītis, Director of Personal Data Processing Department Central Election Commission Ritvars Eglājs, Secretary State Digital Development Agency Arnis Vārslavs, Head of Information Systems Security Management Division Cyber Incident Response Institution Arturs Daņiļevičs, IT Security Specialist at CERT.LV Corruption Prevention and Combatting Bureau Vineta Ostrovska, Lead Inspector, Division for the Investigation of Political Organization Violations Olga Macujeva, Lead Inspector, Division for the Investigation of Political Organization Violations Political Parties (alphabetical order) Ričards Šlesers, MP, Latvia First Everita Zariņa, Secretary-General of Latvia First Jānis Grasbergs, MP, National Alliance Gatis Liepiņš, MP, New Unity Edgars Baldunčiks, Senior Consultant, New Unity Andris Šuvajevs, MP, Progressives Antoņina Ņenaševa, MP, Progressives Agnese Lāce, Minister of Culture (Former), Progressives Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker, MP, Union of Greens and Farmers, Media Aurēlija Ieva Druviete, Vice-Chair, National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) Niklāvs Bērziņš, Head of Monitoring Department, NEPLP Vikija Valdmane-Rozenberga, Content Editor, Latvian Public Service Media Ilze Arkliņa, Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief, Latvian Public Service Media Andrejs Mēters, Head of News Service, TV3 Civil Society Anhelita Kamenska, Director, Latvian Centre for Human Rights Gunta Anča, Chairperson, SUSTENTO Coalition of Disabled Persons’ Organizations Ineta Ielīte, Chair of the Board, Women’s NGOs Co-operation Network Edite Kalnina, Vice President, Women’s NGOs Co-operation Network International Community Representatives of diplomatic missions of OSCE participating States 45 45 The ODIHR NAM extended an invitation to representations of all OSCE participating States resident in Latvia.