Latvia - December 2023

The Parliament has passed amendments to ensure municipal referenda can be conducted in the period before the roll-out of the electronic voter register. Municipal referenda were initially planned to be introduced on 1 January 2024, but were held up over insufficient technical and logistical preparedness. The amendments make it possible to vote in municipal referenda using registration envelopes in-person at local government polling stations in cases where the electronic systems do not work or cannot be used for cybersecurity reasons. It will be possible to initiate a municipal referendum as of 1 September 2024 electronically. The compromise expedites the introduction of municipal referenda, which the Interior Ministry had proposed to postpone until 2026, accelerating the possibilities for participation in decision-making on local issues.

Sources: Saeima (1), LSM, Saeima (2), Saeima (3), Saeima (4)