In order to inform the voters about the procedure of the extraordinary elections of the Riga City Council, from July 20 to August 30, 2020, the reference telephone 67049999 of the Central Election Commission (CEC) will operate.
The phone will work every day from 9.00 to 20.00, but on August 28 and 29 from 7.00 to 24.00, and on August 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. By calling the helpline, voters will be able to find out the nearest polling station and its working hours, learn how to apply for a polling station change and vote at the location, register to vote in elections if not declared in Riga, but own real estate in this municipality. You will also be able to get information about voting procedures in your own and other polling stations, filling in the ballot, security measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 infection, and answers to other questions related to the election process.
From July 30, you will be able to find out your polling station by phone, where the voter is registered according to the declared place of residence 90 days before the election day – on May 31 of this year.
In the Riga City Council elections, which will take place on August 29 this year, voters will have the opportunity to vote in 156 polling stations in Riga. You will be able to vote in these elections at your own or any other polling station in Riga. The list of polling stations is available on the CVK website in the section “Polling stations”.
The CEC invites voters to choose their polling station if possible, if the polling station is not convenient for voting, use the option to change the polling station in advance. On the other hand, if for some reason the election requires the possibility to vote in another polling station, plan more time for voting in the polling station until the polling station is changed, making sure that the voter has not already voted in his or her polling station and entering the voter in the new polling station list.
On election day, polling stations will be open from 7.00 to 22.00 Three days before the elections, it will be possible to vote in advance:
• Wednesday, August 26, from 16.00 – 21.00;
• Thursday, August 27, from 9.00 – 16.00;
• Friday, August 28, from 12.00 – 20.00.
Elections will also have the opportunity to apply for voting at their location if it is not possible to get to the polling station due to their health condition, and the voter will be in the territory of Riga during the elections. Suspected and accused persons who have been remanded in custody as a security measure will also be able to apply to vote at their location if they are in custody in Riga.
Voters whose place of residence was registered in Riga on 31 May this year will be automatically included in the voter lists, while in order to use the opportunity to vote in Riga City Council, if the voter owns real estate in Riga, the election will have to be registered from 30 July to 15 August.
Voter lists will be created by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) in cooperation with CVK and Riga Municipality. Initially, each resident of Riga with the right to vote will be included in the electoral roll of the polling station corresponding to the registered place of residence. The OCMA will send voters by post to the address of the declared place of residence in Riga by 30 July information on which polling station is included in the list. From July 30, you will also be able to find out your station in the OCMA e-service.
You will be able to change the polling station or register to vote in Riga from July 30 to August 15 in the OCMA e-service or by sending an application by post, e-mail or on the portal Latvija.lv to any institution declaring the place of residence in Riga.
Citizens of Latvia and other European Union member states, starting from the age of 18, who had a registered residence in the administrative territory of Riga 90 days before the election day – on 31 May this year, or who own real estate in the administrative territory of Riga, will have the right to participate in Riga City Council elections.
The voting document for the Riga City Council elections will be a valid passport or identity card (eID). Participation in the elections will not be stamped in the passport and voter lists will be used to ensure the “one voter – one vote” principle.
For reference:
• In order to reduce the risks of the spread of the Covid-19 virus infection in the upcoming Riga City Council elections on August 29, the CEC has approved recommendations for the prevention of Covid-19 infection in the Riga City Council polling stations. While staying at the polling station, voters will have to keep a distance of two meters, disinfect their hands, use a mouth and nose guard. Voters who do not have their own face shield will be issued a disposable face mask at the polling station. Voters are also invited to use their own pens at the polling station, but if the voter does not have such an option, each voter will be provided with their own pen at the polling station.
• If a voter is unable to get to the polling station due to a medical condition, they will be able to apply to vote at their location. In this case, the voter or his or her representative must submit an application to the Riga City Election Commission by post, e-mail or on the Latvija.lv portal. When sending an application by e-mail, it must be signed with a secure e-signature. Polling station commissions will be able to organize voting at the location of voters not only on election day, but also on previous voting days.
• The change of the section from July 30 to August 15 can be registered:
o On the website of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs www.pmlp.gov.lv, in the e-service “Election Confirmation and Change”. To use this option, a secure (recognized in Latvia) e-signature or Internet bank authentication is required;
o by sending an application to the Riga City Municipality or the Riga Residence Declaration Institution by post or electronically signed (with a secure e-signature) by e-mail;
o by sending an application to the Riga City Municipality or its institution of declaration of residence electronically on the public administration services portal www.latvija.lv. The application submitted on the public administration service portal www.latvija.lv is valid without a signature.
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