Latvia Elections Marred by Voting Machine Failures
Manual Recount Ordered After Technical Issues Plague First-Time System
Latvia’s recent elections, while showing increased voter participation, were overshadowed by significant technical difficulties with newly implemented electronic voting machines, forcing a return to manual counting. The problems raise questions about the readiness of the country’s digital infrastructure for democratic processes.
Turnout and Political Landscape
Voter turnout rose from 34% in 2021 to 47% in 2025, though still leaving a majority of eligible citizens unrepresented. In the capital city of Rīga, the parties Latvia First and Progressives emerged as frontrunners, representing opposing ends of the political spectrum. Forming a governing coalition will require extensive negotiations with other parties—a common occurrence in Latvian politics.
Results elsewhere were varied, with local issues and candidate personalities continuing to play a significant role. According to a recent report by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, global democratic backsliding has been observed in 75 countries since 2010, highlighting the importance of secure and reliable electoral systems. https://www.idea.int/data-hub/global-overview
Voting Machine Breakdown and Investigation
The head of the Central Election Commission (CVK), Kristīne Saulīte, acknowledged “serious problems” with the automatic vote counting machines provided by the State Digital Development Agency (VDAA). The machines, used for the first time in this election, failed to function as expected, necessitating a manual recount.
“The machines did not work at the level planned, so the decision was made to count the votes manually.”
—Kristīne Saulīte, Head of the Central Election Commission
Saulīte indicated a “very detailed investigation” will be launched to determine the cause of the malfunctions. She stated she would be prepared to resign if the CVK is found to have been at fault.
“The entire public has the right to know. I apologize to the election commissions and polling stations. No one wanted this technical glitch, much more time had to be invested, there was greater uncertainty. But the votes will be counted soon.”
—Kristīne Saulīte, Head of the Central Election Commission
Criminal Proceedings Initiated
The State Police have begun six criminal investigations under Article 90 of the Criminal Law, relating to deliberate obstruction of voting rights. Voters can access local election results through links on the CVK website: https://dati.cvk.lv/PV2025/en/
The incident underscores the challenges of integrating new technologies into established democratic processes and the critical need for thorough testing and contingency planning to ensure the integrity of elections.
