2021 Latvian municipal elections

Municipal elections were held across Latvia on 5 June 2021.[1] This was the first election after the Saeima passed a municipal reform in 2020 that reduced the 110 municipalities and 9 cities to 43 municipalities, including 11 state cities and added 5 new Latvian towns: Ādaži, Iecava, Ķekava, Koknese, and Mārupe.[2] In total, 645 councilors were elected to 40 municipal councils across the country.[3] The 60 seats in the Riga City Council is not up for election until 2025, as snap elections were held in August 2020.

On 28 May, following the decision of the Constitutional Court of Latvia that declared a part of the municipal reform about the inclusion of Varakļāni Municipality into the new Rēzekne Municipality unconstitutional, the Central Election Commission (CEC) cancelled elections in the municipalities of both Rēzekne and Madona.[4] The Saeima decided on 1 June to reverse the decision of the CEC and to move forward with the elections in Madona Municipality on 5 June as initially scheduled.[5]

Electoral system

All 645 councilors were elected using open-list proportional representation with a 5% electoral threshold. Seats are allocated using the Webster/Sainte-Laguë method. The number of councilors a given municipality were to elect was determined by the Central Election Commission based on the number of residents in that municipality.

Seat allocation for the 2021 local elections[6]
Councilors State Cities Municipalities
13 50 000 residents or less
15 more than 50 000 residents 30 000 residents or less
19 more than 30 000 residents
23 more than 60 000 residents

Participating parties

Party Main ideology Political position Lists Municipalities[a]
New Conservative Party JKP Conservatism Centre-right
29
33
National Alliance NA Nationalism Right-wing
27
34
Harmony S Social democracy Centre-left
26
26
New Unity JV Liberal conservatism Centre-right
23
31
Association of Regions LRA Regionalism Centre
20
29
Regional parties Regionalism Big tent
20
24
Who Owns the State? KPV LV Right-wing populism Right-wing
20
20
For Latvia's Development LA Classical liberalism Centre-right
18
25
Latvian Farmers' Union LZS Agrarianism Centre-right
17
20
Union of Greens and Farmers ZZS Agrarianism, Green conservatism Centre-right
17
18
Latvian Green Party LZP Green conservatism Centre-right
14
17
Latvian Russian Union LKS Russian minority politics Centre-left
11
11
The Progressives P Social democracy Centre-left
8
10
Movement For! Par! Social liberalism Centre-left
6
11
Social Democratic Workers' Party LSDSP Social democracy Centre-left
6
6
Alternative A
4
4
New Harmony JS Left-wing populism Left-wing
4
4
For Stability! S! Populism Centre
3
3
United for Latvia VL Populism Centre
2
2
National Alliance "Justice" NST Ultranationalism Far-right
2
2
For Latvia and Ventspils Ventspils regionalism Centre-right
1
1
Latvian Revival National conservatism Far-right
1
1
Liepāja Party Liepāja regionalism Centre-right
1
1
Christian Democratic Union KDS Christian democracy Centre-right
1
1
Cooperation (Sadarbība)
1
1
Socialist Party LSP Socialism Far-left
1
1
Growth I Centrism Centre
0
1

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Social Democratic Party "Harmony"7,49842.677+2
Our Party2,50614.263-1
Latgale Party, For Latvia's Development2,35113.382-4
Daugavpils Municipality Party1,7119.742New
Latvian Russian Union1,4588.301+1
Alternative7214.1000
Union of Greens and Farmers5122.9100
Christian Democratic Union4042.3000
New Conservative Party2271.290New
New Harmony1841.050New
Total17,572100.00150
Valid votes17,57298.80
Invalid/blank votes2141.20
Total votes17,786100.00
Registered voters/turnout57,14331.13
Source: Central Election Commission of Latvia
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Union of Greens and Farmers3,74732.546-1
New Unity1,57413.672+1
National Alliance1,45012.5920
Movement For!1,20510.462New
Latvian Russian Union9468.211New
Latvian Association of Regions8817.6510
Social Democratic Party "Harmony"8137.061-2
New Conservative Party5754.990New
Who Owns the State?2201.910-1
The Progressives1050.910New
Total11,516100.00150
Valid votes11,51699.07
Invalid/blank votes1080.93
Total votes11,624100.00
Registered voters/turnout39,28429.59
Source: Central Election Commission of Latvia
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Union of Greens and Farmers7,32750.998+2
National Alliance1,69211.7720
Social Democratic Party "Harmony"1,4089.802-1
For You, For Jūrmala1,3519.402-1
New Unity, Movement For!7555.251+1
The Progressives6414.4600
For Latvia's Development3042.1200
Jūrmala – Our Home2151.5000
Latvian Russian Union2061.430New
New Conservative Party1951.360-1
Latvian Association of Regions1160.810New
For Stability!1000.700New
New Harmony600.4200
Total14,370100.00150
Valid votes14,37099.13
Invalid/blank votes1260.87
Total votes14,496100.00
Registered voters/turnout36,74839.45
Source: Central Election Commission of Latvia
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Liepāja Party5,51941.4760
Latvian Association of Regions4,14331.1350
Social Democratic Party "Harmony"1,58311.902-2
Movement For!, New Unity, The Progressives8066.061New
National Alliance6765.081+1
New Conservative Party3912.9400
Association Residents1901.430New
Total13,308100.00150
Valid votes13,30899.22
Invalid/blank votes1050.78
Total votes13,413100.00
Registered voters/turnout46,50628.84
Source: Central Election Commission of Latvia
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Social Democratic Party "Harmony"4,38763.948-1
National Alliance, Latvian Green Party, New Unity, Latvian Association of Regions, Latgale Party1,33819.503New
New Conservative Party6339.231New
The Progressives3905.681New
Association Residents1131.6500
Total6,861100.00130
Valid votes6,86198.66
Invalid/blank votes931.34
Total votes6,954100.00
Registered voters/turnout22,27331.22
Source: Central Election Commission of Latvia
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
For Latvia and Ventspils4,56254.927-2
New Unity, Latvian Association of Regions1,22214.712-2
For Latvia's Development98811.902New
New Conservative Party6147.391New
National Alliance5516.631+1
Social Democratic Party "Harmony"3474.1800
Alternative220.2600
Total8,306100.00130
Valid votes8,30698.82
Invalid/blank votes991.18
Total votes8,405100.00
Registered voters/turnout23,46035.83
Source: Central Election Commission of Latvia

Notes

  1. ^ Including the municipalities where the party runs on a joint list with another party

References

  1. ^ "Local Elections 2021". Central Election Commission of Latvia. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  2. ^ "Saeima finally approves major regional reforms". eng.lsm.lv. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  3. ^ "CVK nosaka pašvaldību vēlēšanās domēs ievēlējamo deputātu skaitu" [CEC determines the number of councilors to be elected to the municipal councils.] (in Latvian). Central Election Commission of Latvia. January 26, 2021. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  4. ^ "Pēc ST sprieduma CVK aptur 5.jūnijā plānotās vēlēšanas Rēzeknes un Madonas novadā" [After the decision of the Constitutional Court, the CEC cancels elections in Rēzekne and Madona municipalities]. www.lsm.lv (in Latvian). Archived from the original on 2021-05-28. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  5. ^ Upleja, Sanita (2021-06-01). "Varakļāni paliek kā atsevišķs novads, lemj Saeima" [Varakļāni will remain a separate municipality, decided Saeima]. delfi.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  6. ^ "Pašvaldības domes vēlēšanu likums" [Municipal councils election law]. likumi.lv (in Latvian). January 20, 2021. Archived from the original on 2004-10-24. Retrieved January 30, 2021.