As the LETA agency clarified to the CVK, the instruction stipulates that the chairman of the municipal election commission determines the number of members of the election precinct commission and the deadline for candidates to apply, doing so no later than ninety days before the election day of the municipal council.
The notice of application of candidates is posted at the place of information provision of the relevant municipal council, on the official website of the relevant municipality and in other ways that ensure the availability of information to candidates, for example, in the newsletter, social media accounts and other ways of disseminating information about vacancies in the specific municipality.
It is stipulated that the Municipal Election Commission shall establish a polling station commission consisting of five to seven members no later than sixty days before the election day.
The right to nominate and apply for their representatives in the polling station commission belongs to the person authorized by the board of the registered political party or their association, a member of the election commission of the relevant municipality, or a group of no less than ten voters.
A citizen of Latvia who has at least general secondary education, who has not applied as a deputy candidate in the election or is not an authorized person for submitting a list of candidates, who is not a member of the European Parliament, the Saeima, the relevant municipal council, who is not a member of any other election commission, can apply to be a member of the polling station commission. , including another member of the commission of the electoral district, who has sufficient professional abilities to perform the duties of the position, who is able to realize the rights of the position and fulfill the duties of the position responsibilities.
As in the previous elections, this time too, it has been determined that the member of the election precinct commission must know the Latvian language, at the same time it has been stated for the first time that the knowledge of the Latvian language must be at least at the C1 level.
The candidate’s application must be submitted to the relevant municipal election commission. When announcing the application of candidates, the municipal election commission can supplement the information indicated in the candidate’s application form with its decision. The local government election commission must check whether the applied candidates meet the requirements set forth in this instruction for the position of a member of the electoral district commission, evaluate the candidates’ suitability for this position and vote for the nominated candidates.
The instruction stipulates that candidates are elected by majority vote. The candidates who received the most votes will be elected. If the votes are divided equally, the vote of the chairman of the municipal election commission is decisive. The chairman and secretary of the polling station commission are appointed by the relevant municipal election commission from among the elected members of the polling station commission.
The LETA agency already reported that the number of deputies to be elected in the upcoming local government elections this summer will be smaller in Rēzekne, Aizkraukle and Dobele districts, according to the CVK decision.
These counties previously had 19 deputies, but now their number has been reduced to 15.
Another 15 deputies will be elected in Daugavpils, Jelgava, Jūrmala, Liepaja, Alūksne district, Augšdaugava district, Đadaži district, Balvu district, Gulbene district, Krāslava district, Kuldīga district, Limbaži district, Līvāni district, Ludza district, Olaine district, Preiļi district, Salaspils in the county, Saldus county, Saulkrasti in the county, Smiltenes county, Valkas county and Ventspils county.
On the other hand, 19 deputies will be elected in Bauskas county, Cēsu county, Dienvikkurzeme county, Jelgava county, Jēkabpilī county, Ķekava county, Madona county, Mārupe county, Ropažu county, Sigulda county, Talsu county, Tukuma county and Valmiera county.
In the upcoming municipal council elections, the newly created Madona county council will be elected, to which the municipality of Varakļani has been added. CVK explains that the number of deputies to be elected is determined according to the data of the Register of Natural Persons on the total number of inhabitants in Madona and Varakļani counties on the day of the election announcement, which was January 3. The newly formed Madona County Council will continue to have 19 members. Until now, the municipality of Varakļani, attached to the county, had 15 members.
Municipal elections in Latvia will be held at the beginning of June.