RIGA, Jan 3 (LETA) - The Central Election Commission (CVK) on Friday decided to call Latvia's municipal elections on June 7, 2025, the CVK informed LETA.

The decision has been taken in accordance with Sections 1 and 4 of the Law on the Election of Local Government Councils. Pursuant to the law a "local government council (hereinafter - the council) shall be elected for a period of four years in equal, direct elections, and by secret ballot based on proportional representation. The regular elections of the council shall take place on the first Saturday of June".

In these municipal elections, a completely new design of ballot papers will be introduced. The visual appearance of the ballot papers will be changed, as well as the way they are filled out, the election authority informed.

Instructions for filling out the new ballot papers will be available at each polling station, in each polling booth. This change in the ballot paper design is necessary to enable automatic vote counting in future elections and referendums. In other words, the same type of ballot paper will be used for the municipal elections on June 7, the parliamentary elections in 2026 and for the European Parliament elections in 2029.

Electoral lists for the upcoming local elections can be submitted from March 19 to April 8.

On the last day of submission, lists can be submitted to the respective municipal election commission in person or remotely until 6 p.m.