The Central Election Commission announces the decision on the opening of the ballot box

On October 6, 2026, in the official announcements section, under the “INSTITUTIONS” heading, Latvijas Vēstnesis (No. 192, OP 2026/192) published decision No. 80 “On the opening of ballot boxes” by the Central Election Commission. The decision was issued by the Central Election Commission and pertains to the stage of the election process in which ballot boxes are opened. The announcement is included in the same issue in which decision No. 79 “On the amendment of the list of Latvian polling stations” was also published.

Decision No. 80 in the context of the October 6 issue

In the constitutional institutions and agencies section of issue 192 of Latvijas Vēstnesis, the Central Election Commission is the only institution whose decisions in this issue are published with sequence numbers. Both announcements — No. 79 and No. 80 — appear alongside Cabinet of Ministers orders and regulations published with numbers 591–607.

• Issuing institution: Central Election Commission
• Place of publication: Latvijas Vēstnesis official announcements section “INSTITUTIONS”
• Publication date: October 6, 2026
• Official reference: OP 2026/192
• Decision number: No. 80
• Decision title: “On the opening of ballot boxes”

Preparation of election infrastructure before the 15th Saeima elections

Decision No. 80 is part of a series of decisions by the Central Election Commission published in Latvijas Vēstnesis since August, forming the organizational framework for the 15th Saeima elections. The October 2 issue (OP 2026/190) published decisions No. 75 and No. 76 regarding the distribution of funds required for goods and services in polling stations, as well as decisions No. 77 and No. 78 regarding amendments to the approval of polling station commissions and the list of Latvian polling stations.

• No. 75 — distribution of funds in polling stations established at the diplomatic missions of the Republic of Latvia for the organization of the 2026 Saeima elections
• No. 76 — distribution of funds in polling stations established based on voter proposals
• No. 77 — amendments to decision No. 18 of April 30, 2026, on the approval of polling station commissions established abroad
• No. 78 — amendments to the list of Latvian polling stations
• No. 79 — amendment to the list of Latvian polling stations (October 6, 2026)

Polling station commissions, lists, and voting procedure

Before the publication of Decision No. 80, the Central Election Commission repeatedly refined the polling station network and the composition of the commissions in September. Decisions No. 71, No. 72, and No. 74 were published in the September 28 issue (OP 2026/186), Decision No. 70 on September 21 (OP 2026/181), and Decisions No. 67, No. 68, and No. 69 on September 18 (OP 2026/180). On September 30 (OP 2026/188), Decision No. 60 was published as a publication clarification.

Regarding voting procedures, the Central Election Commission’s Instruction No. 17 “Procedure for Extending Voting Time” and Decision No. 65 “On the Approval of the Instruction” were published in the September 8 issue (OP 2026/172). In August (OP 2026/157), Decisions No. 61, No. 62, and No. 63 were published regarding the approval of the list of polling stations and the commissions of polling stations established abroad.

Significance

The opening of ballot boxes is one of the final stages of the voting process, and its announcement in the official publication ensures the public traceability of the procedure. The publication of Decision No. 80 in Latvijas Vēstnesis on October 6, 2026, allows voters, polling station commissions, and observers to verify that the Central Election Commission has established the procedure for this stage prior to the elections for the 15th Saeima.

Official source: Central Election Commission Decision No. 80 “On the Opening of Ballot Boxes”, published in Latvijas Vēstnesis, October 6, 2026, No. 192, official reference OP 2026/192, section “INSTITUTIONS”.