CCA: turnout in Seimas elections is lower, young people remain passive

“2020 Seimas elections had slightly fewer voters than previous elections. However, during early voting, voter turnout was significantly higher than in 2016,” L. Matjošaitytė said during the press conference.

In this year’s Seimas elections in the multi-member constituency, 47.52 percent cast their vote. voters, in a single member – 47.50 percent. In comparison, in 2016. in the elections of the multinominal constituency, 50.64% voted. voters, in a single member – 50.61 percent.

The CEC president associated the increased turnout in early voting with the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have encouraged voters to avoid potentially larger gatherings on Election Day.

“Voters 55 to 64 years old were the ones who went to the polls the most. […] According to the CCA, the most passive voters in the age group 25-29 years, ”said L. Matjošaitytė.

According to the CEC, the majority of voters voted in the Old Town – Žvėrynas constituency, where more than 61 percent voted. voters. There was also a lot of activity in other districts of Vilnius. The smallest number of voters was registered in the northern district of Nalšia, where 36.6 percent voted. voters.

An unusual event was when violence was used against a member of the Election Commission in a Vilnius constituency.

The CEC estimated that 22 women and 48 men had joined the Seimas so far. Of the current composition of the Seimas, 46 parliamentarians re-entered the Seimas and 5 parliamentarians are participating with a different political party from 2016 during the election.

The CEC also collected data on political party funds collected for funding in 2020. Seimas Election Campaign. The Commission estimates that the Conservatives have raised 1.15 million euros. EUR, the Labor Party a little more than a million euros, the Union of Greens and Peasants of Lithuania – 843 thousand. EUR, Social Democrats – 559 thousand, Liberal Movement – 527 thousand. LLRA-KŠS collected a little more than 400 thousand and LSDDP – 239 thousand. euros.

It is estimated that the parties spent just over 5.2 million. and it has just over a million euros in debt liabilities. The costs are mainly for different types of advertising.

Investigations have been launched into possible violations

Renatas Požėla, Commissioner General of the Lithuanian Police, who participated in the press conference, announced that the police had received 131 reports related to the elections and that 4 pre-trial investigations had been launched.

“It is not uncommon for violence against a member of the Election Commission to be used in a Vilnius constituency. The aforementioned person had left the scene of the incident, but his place of residence was determined and he has already been questioned,” said R. Požėla.

According to the Commissioner General, investigations can be opened into 7 other cases, but information on the facts is still being collected. R. Požėla noticed it in 2020. There were far fewer reports of possible irregularities during the elections.

There were 160 reports in the last elections and currently 131.

And the head of the public organization “White Gloves”, Marija Šaraitė, said that the organization has registered 845 possible violations during the whole of the past week.

Over 150 complaints were received about people who registered to vote at home, but were not given that opportunity.

It’s a bit sad that when we provide this information, we often hear that citizens are to blame or that observers are not doing something like that.

According to M. Šaraitė, unsealed ballot boxes were registered more than 160 times on Election Day. There have been cases where voters have voted in undesignated locations.

“We would like to ask the CEC to take a little more responsibility for what is both in the public space and presented by our organization and to take these cases more seriously. It’s a bit sad that after presenting this information, we often hear that citizens are at fault or that observers are not doing something like that, ”said M. Šaraitė.

He called not to confuse the choice

The president of the CEC noted the outrage in the public sphere that on Election Day citizens could only vote in registered districts.

According to L. Matjošaitytė, on Election Day, you can vote in any constituency in your constituency. Exceptions are provided only in cases where the person provides the necessary evidence.

“There is no confusion with the presidential elections, when during the elections all the candidates are equal throughout the entire Lithuanian territory and there is the same ballot,” said L. Matjošaitytė.

I wonder why not everyone could vote

The CEC president said that cases in which self-isolating voters do not receive representatives of the commission will be investigated. It is true that L. Matjošaitytė noted that the CEC does not exclude sick people and treats everyone as if they were voting from home.

“Some tell one story, others another. The members of the electoral commissions say they left and no one opened the door, and people in isolation say that no one approached them, ”said L. Matjošaitytė.

According to the president of the CEC, to avoid this type of case in the future, the members of the electoral commission will be asked to record the time of the visit and if the people in isolation do not open the door.

We have no reason not to believe in the members of the electoral commission. However, they carry out their duties responsibly and must visit every voter who has expressed a desire to vote in their country.

“We have stories that tell me I wasn’t home when the commission came in because I was in the gym, but maybe you can come back. Or such a story that we do not hear how the doorbell rang on television, “said the president of the CEC.

Attention will focus on cases in which it can be shown that representatives of the electoral commission visited but did not find people in their own isolation.

“We have no reason not to believe in the members of the electoral commission. However, they carry out their duties responsibly and must visit every voter who has expressed a desire to vote at home,” said L. Matjošaitytė.

Fines can amount to 250 euros

M.Šaraitė pointed out that the representatives of the electoral commission would follow the schedule when walking towards the people in isolation, because many complainants claimed that they had honestly waited for the personnel of the electoral commission in vain.

“There really are those who waited honestly and the electoral commissions did not come to them. It is necessary to explain why and change certain procedures, “said M. Šaraitė.

L. Matjošaitytė noted that the schedules are being published, but M. Šaraitė noted that on Friday, the last day of the preliminary vote, the visiting hours of more than 400 districts were not known.

When asked if the police could visit all people who do not adhere to self-isolation, R. Požėla said that this is a function of the police and that the work organization must guarantee capacity. R. Požėla told reporters that the minimum fine for non-compliance with the self-isolation requirements is 250 euros.

Conservative victory

The first in 2020 The Seimas electoral round was the most successful for the Lithuanian Christian National-Democratic Union (TS-LKD). After counting all the votes, the party received 24.80 percent. votes and, in the current situation, won 23 seats in the multinominal constituency.

The ruling Lithuanian Green and Peasant Union (LVŽS) remained in second place in the multi-member constituency this year. voters and won 16 seats in a multi-member constituency.

Third is the Labor Party, which returned to the Seimas after a four-year hiatus. This party received 9.47 percent. votes and will have 9 seats in the Seimas.

The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) remained in fourth place. 9.26 percent voted for this party. voters will tentatively have 9 seats.

In fifth place is the Freedom Party, which surprised many with its good performance. 9.02 percent voted for this party. voters, received 8 seats.

The Liberal Movement remained in sixth place. This party received 6.79 percent. votes and will have 6 seats.

Other parties did not raise the 5 percent needed to secure a mandate in a multi-member constituency. This means that the Polish electoral campaign of Lithuania: the Union of Christian Families (LLRA-KŠS) and the Social Democratic Labor Party (LSDDP) in the ruling coalition will not have their factions in the Seimas during the next term.

68 spots available

During the first round of the Seimas elections, only three Seimas members actually won the terms of the Seimas members in single-member electoral districts, having already received more than 50% in the first round of the Seimas elections. votes. Two of them are representatives of LLRA-KŠS.

These are Beata Petkevič, who won the elections in the Šalčininkai-Vilnius constituency, and Česlavas Olševskis, who won the Medininkai constituency. 59 percent voted for B. Petkevič. voters in your constituency, for Č. Olševskis – 52.44 percent. voters in your constituency.

Ingrida Šimonytė, leader of the TS-LKD list, also won the mandate in the first round. In the Antakalnis constituency, 60.72 percent voted for her. district voters.

The remaining 68 single-member constituencies will definitely need a second round of elections.

The second round included 56 candidates from the TS-LKD, 32 “peasants”, 12 representatives from the Freedom Party and LSDP, 10 politicians from the liberal movement, 4 representatives from LLRA-KŠS and LSDDP, 2 candidates from the Labor Party, 1 “ Freedom and Justice ”and Candidate of the Center-Nationalists Party. Another 6 seconds make the participants stand out.

Electoral participation

47.16 percent participated in these Seimas elections. voters, according to data from the CEC. On Sunday, 35.52 percent voted in the Seimas elections. voters. Another 11.64 percent. eligible residents voted early.

We remind you that during 2016. The Conservatives won the majority of parliamentary seats in the first round of the parliamentary elections.

However, after two weeks of re-election in single-member districts, all other parties were “swept away” by the peasants. In total, LVŽS won 54 seats in the Seimas, TS-LKD – 30.