August 19, 2002
Latvian citizens living abroad have until Sept. 7 to submit documents that would allow them to vote by mail in the upcoming parliamentary elections, according to Central Elections Commission in Rīga.
Instructions posted on the commission’s Web site affect Latvians who are temporarily living abroad as well as thousands of Latvians who hold dual citizenship.
According to the instructions, voters abroad may either show up in person at a designated polling place on Oct. 5 or cast their ballots by mail. To vote by mail, voters must submit a written request to the nearest election district office along with their Latvian passport or registration issued by the Latvian Department of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.
A total of 35 election district offices have been established abroad, according to the commission, including two in the United States, two in Canada, two in Australia and one in Great Britain. The elections commission provides a full listing online.
Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000-2012 he was editor of the website.
