Conflict at the Elections in Tukums: Man Tried to Vote with a Birth Certificate

Photo: LETA

In the Tukums region, a conflict occurred at one of the polling stations after a man was denied the right to vote due to the absence of a valid identification document. Despite the incident, the election day in the region is generally proceeding calmly.

At one of the polling stations in the Tukums region, a man attempted to obtain a ballot by presenting a birth certificate and a police certificate instead of an identification document. After being denied the right to vote, he reportedly behaved extremely aggressively, according to the chairwoman of the regional election commission, Liene Zervena.

The man was not allowed to vote with the documents he presented. It is possible that a complaint may be filed with the Central Election Commission following the incident.

This case has become one of the few notable incidents in the region. Otherwise, as noted by the regional commission, the elections are proceeding smoothly, and no serious violations have been recorded.

To participate in the elections, it is necessary to present a document that grants the right to receive electoral materials. The use of other documents does not allow the commission to issue a ballot.

According to the Central Election Commission, by 12:00 PM, 10,186 people had voted in the Tukums region, which accounts for 29.56% of registered voters.

The highest influx of people occurred in the first half of the day. The commission expects that activity will rise again closer to the evening. This is evidenced, in particular, by inquiries from local commissions that previously clarified the availability of spare envelopes and ballots.

In the previous days, commission members also had to explain the procedure for early voting to voters. In particular, residents were informed that ballots left for safekeeping until the main election day remain anonymous and the secrecy of voting is preserved.

Voting in the elections for the 15th Saeima continues until 8:00 PM. According to the commissions, despite some conflict situations and queues at certain polling stations, the electoral process in the Tukums region is proceeding without serious disruptions.