About this election
Latvia is due to hold elections to the Saeima, its 100-member unicameral parliament, by 3 October 2026, renewing the legislature for a four-year term. The vote follows a turbulent stretch of Latvian politics: in May 2026 Prime Minister Evika Siliņa resigned after The Progressives withdrew from her coalition in a dispute triggered by a drone incident on the eastern border during the war in Ukraine, and she was succeeded by Andris Kulbergs at the head of a reshaped government. Security on NATO's eastern flank, relations with Russia, and the integration of Latvia's large Russian-speaking minority frame an election in one of the European Union and NATO member states most directly exposed to the consequences of the war next door.
The Saeima is elected by open-list proportional representation. Voters in five regional constituencies — Riga, Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme and Zemgale — choose party lists and may mark preference (or strike-out) votes for individual candidates, which can re-order who is elected. Seats are allocated by the Sainte-Laguë method, and a party must clear a 5% national threshold to win representation. Latvians abroad vote within the Riga constituency. After the election the President invites a candidate, usually from the largest party, to form a government that must win the confidence of the Saeima; because no party comes close to a majority, Latvian governments are always multi-party coalitions, and they have tended to exclude parties seen as pro-Kremlin.
Latvian politics combines a crowded centre-right with a historically significant ethnic cleavage. The governing New Unity (Jaunā Vienotība) is the establishment centre-right party that has supplied recent prime ministers; the agrarian Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS), the national-conservative National Alliance, the centrist United List, and the progressive, socially liberal Progressives are the other main forces. A distinct strand of politics represents the roughly quarter of residents who are Russian-speaking: the long-dominant party of that electorate, Harmony, collapsed in 2022, and newer movements such as For Stability! and Latvia First have competed for those and other protest voters. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sharpened debates over language, citizenship, the removal of Soviet-era monuments and the loyalty of pro-Moscow forces, reshaping the electoral map.
The October 2022 election was a clear win for the pro-Western centre-right and a rout for the parties traditionally backed by Russian-speakers, as Harmony fell out of parliament entirely. New Unity, then led by Krišjānis Kariņš, finished first and formed a coalition.
| Party (2022) | Vote % | Seats |
| New Unity (JV) | 19.19 | 26 |
| Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) | 12.58 | 16 |
| United List (AS) | 11.14 | 15 |
| National Alliance (NA) | 9.40 | 13 |
| For Stability! (S!) | 6.88 | 11 |
| The Progressives (P) | 6.23 | 10 |
| Latvia First (LPV) | 6.31 | 9 |
A governing majority requires 51 of the 100 seats.
The central questions are whether New Unity can survive the instability of 2026 and remain the largest party, how the Progressives fare after pulling down the Siliņa government, and whether parties appealing to Russian-speaking and protest voters can re-enter parliament in force. National security, defence spending, the cost of living and energy, and Latvia's demographic decline are the dominant themes. Coalition arithmetic will again be decisive: even a first-place finish guarantees nothing without partners.
Latvia's electoral geography is strongly regional. The pro-Western centre-right is strongest in Riga's suburbs, Vidzeme, Kurzeme and Zemgale, while the eastern region of Latgale, with its large Russian-speaking population and weaker economy, has long been the heartland of parties appealing to that electorate. Riga itself, home to roughly a third of the population, is the largest single battleground. ElectioMap will map results across the five constituencies as official figures are released.
This page will show the live national vote share and seat allocation for the 100-seat Saeima, an interactive map of Latvia's five constituencies, and the evolving coalition arithmetic as the count proceeds. Figures are sourced from Latvia's Central Election Commission, which administers and certifies the vote.
Elections to the 100-seat Saeima are due by 3 October 2026, renewing the parliament for a four-year term. Latvian general elections are held on the first Saturday of October.
By open-list proportional representation in five regional constituencies (Riga, Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme and Zemgale), with seats allocated by the Sainte-Laguë method and a 5% national threshold. Voters can give preference or strike-out votes to individual candidates.
After Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity) resigned in May 2026 — following the withdrawal of The Progressives from her coalition amid a border drone incident — Andris Kulbergs formed a new government. New Unity has supplied recent prime ministers and leads the centre-right.
National security on NATO's eastern flank and relations with Russia dominate, alongside the integration of the large Russian-speaking minority, defence spending, the cost of living and energy, and demographic decline.
Latvia's Central Election Commission reports preliminary results on election night, with the final count confirmed within days. Live national figures and a constituency map will appear on this page as counting begins.
Compiled and reviewed by Bartłomiej Paruzel, Election Data Analyst, from official results. See our data methodology.