RIGA, June 5 (LETA) - The low voter turnout in this year's local government elections is also due to the fact that it was not possible for voters to vote for candidates for their local government or city from a different local government, Ivars Ijabs, political scientist, MEP and co-chair of the For Development (LA) party told LETA.

Ijabs also emphasized that if a majority does not vote, it is a bad signal for democracy. However, the low activity was also influenced by the fact that due to Covid-19, some people may also be afraid to go to public places.

Some people are in another municipality for objective reasons, such as being treated in a hospital or living in a nursing home, so they do not have the opportunity to vote in their municipality, the politician said. This issue, including the need to address the introduction of electronic voting, should be discussed in a broad format with the Central Election Commission, the LA co-chair emphasized.

Ijabs pointed out that the fact that it is not possible to vote from another municipality contrasts with the fact that voters abroad were able to vote in the municipal elections by post. Such a difference of possibilities is not logical, the politician said.

The low activity is also related to the fact that the elections did not take place in Riga, which is a national media event and which makes the elections more topical, the LA leader pointed out.

As reported, 327,938 voters or 34.01 percent of eligible voters cast their votes in this year's local government elections, according to the Central Election Commission's data.

This is the lowest voter turnout since the restoration of independence.