RIGA, May 19 (LETA) - In preparation for the upcoming local elections, which Latvia will hold on the first Saturday of June 2021, the Central Election Commission has approved a drive-thru voting procedure, allowing voters to cast their ballots while sitting in their cars. 

As the Central Election Commission's representative Laura Zaharova told LETA, local authorities are planning to test drive-thru voting in the Adazi and Jekabpils regions. 

To ensure compliance with Covid-19 safety measures in the municipal polls, two outdoor polling stations that can be accessed by motor vehicles will open in the Jekabpils region on the day of local elections, the local government informed LETA. 

The drive-thru polling stations will be set up in Jekabpils by a local clubhouse and a sports hall which will also house indoor polling stations. The outdoor polling stations will be open to votes only on the day of elections from 7:00 to 18:00.

Considering interests from several local governments and foreign examples, the Central Election Commission has adopted a regulation for organizing drive-thru voting in elections. 

The representative of the Central Election Commission indicated that the drive-thru option will not apply to voters who on the day of election are self-isolating or quarantining because of Covid-19. They will still be required to follow epidemiological safety rules and register for voting at home.