On Thursday, 26 March, the Saeima adopted amendments to the Law on the Election of the Saeima stipulating that votes cast in the elections of the 15th convocation of the Saeima shall be counted manually.

The amendments set forth that valid ballots in the 2026 Saeima elections will be counted by hand.

Oļegs Burovs, Chair of the Public Administration and Local Government Committee, which was responsible for the amendments, previously stated that elections are the cornerstone of democracy, so it is crucial to eliminate any doubts about this process. The adoption of the amendments will allow for timely preparation for the process and reduce the potential for various speculations regarding the fairness and transparency of the elections.

Oļegs Burovs emphasises that the Committee is monitoring developments, is in constant close contact with the Central Election Commission regarding the organisation of the election process and is ready to take action to dispel any doubts and ensure that the elections of the 15th convocation of the Saeima are credible and secure.

This decision is a clear signal that fair and transparent elections will be ensured. Furthermore, the amendment to the Law on the Election of the Saeima does not entail abandoning the election information systems developed under the auspices of the State Digital Development Agency in the long term.

The proposal to count votes by hand in the elections of the 15th convocation of the Saeima stems from potential violations in IT procurements, particularly in light of the investigation launched by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the State Police into fraud in the amount of EUR 1.5 million as well as the criminal proceedings being investigated by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) regarding the disclosure of confidential information.

Saeima Press Service