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Latvia Races to Repair Election IT Systems Ahead of 2026 Vote
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Latvia’s Central Election Commission (CVK) is working to finalize repairs to its election data technology (IT) systems by the end of June, in planning for the 2026 parliamentary elections. The push comes after notable technical issues plagued the country’s municipal elections earlier this year, raising concerns about the integrity and efficiency of the electoral process.
CVK chair Māris Zviedris stated in a Wednesday interview with TV3 that on-site testing since the municipal elections revealed several deficiencies, though no “essential problems” were identified. A public procurement process will begin in January to secure a company to address the remaining issues. Zviedris expressed hope that the improved system can undergo further testing between March and May, ensuring timely completion of preparations.This process may also involve contracting a new system developer.
The urgency stems from the approaching deadline for candidate list submissions, wich begins at the end of June. “The IT system must be ready about a month earlier,” Zviedris emphasized, adding that no further updates will be implemented after that point to avoid introducing untested changes. He issued a stark warning: “If the system improvements are not completed on time, we will not use it – votes will be counted manually.”
Municipal Election Failures Prompt Scrutiny
The need for these repairs was underscored by the difficulties experienced during this year’s municipal elections. Officials acknowledged during a recent meeting of the Saeima’s Public Management and Local Government Committee that a lack of sufficient testing time contributed to the technical problems.
According to a representative of the State Regional Growth Agency (VDAA), the vote-counting software itself functioned as intended upon delivery.Though, “what happened were configuration errors – the system went live without being properly calibrated.” This lack of calibration, coupled with insufficient testing, led to widespread failures.
Communication Breakdown and Leadership Changes
The election commission also faced criticism for its handling of the crisis, notably regarding communication with the public and polling stations. On one occasion, the CVK incorrectly attributed system issues to a cyberattack, a claim that was later retracted.During election night, polling stations were left without clear instructions for an extended period as the vote-counting system failed.
the fallout from the election failures led to significant leadership changes. In August, following an internal investigation, VDAA director Jorens Liopa was demoted for disciplinary violations related to election IT management. Prior to that,both CVK chair Kristīne saulīte and Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development Inga Bērziņa (New Unity) resigned in response to the crisis.
Path Forward: Familiar Software, Manual Backup
Despite the previous issues, the same software that malfunctioned during the municipal elections is currently planned for use in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Though, municipal election commissions will now have the option to choose between scanning ballots or reverting to manual counting. No new ballot formats are currently planned.
Zviedris confirmed that preparations for the parliamentary elections are currently on schedule, and a technical audit has been completed. He also noted that he is unaware of any financial penalties imposed on the previous software developer.
The 2025 municipal elections were significantly disrupted by technical failures, including issues with vote counting
