Latvia Urgently Replaces Polling Station Staff Over Trips to Belarus and Russia

Reform.news Editorial Team · 25 September 2026, 17:17

https://reform.news/en/latvia-urgently-replaces-polling-station-staff-over-trips-to-belarus-and-russia/

Several municipalities in eastern Latvia have had to urgently replace polling station staff at the request of the Latvian State Security Service (VDD). The reasons people were barred from working on election commissions included trips to Belarus and Russia, as well as the dissemination of pro-Kremlin narratives.

The VDD confirmed to LSM that 6,000 polling station staff members had been screened across Latvia.

“Among the risk factors identified were people’s trips to the aggressor state Russia and its ally Belarus after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as the dissemination of pro-Kremlin narratives,” the VDD said.

According to the publication, 20 people had to be urgently replaced in Daugavpils. A change in the composition of the commission in Krāslava has also been reported.

The Central Election Commission of Latvia said that the VDD’s screening of polling station staff was standard practice and stressed that polling stations have reserve staff. Central Election Commission Chairman Māris Zviedris declined to say how many people had to be replaced following the screenings, but said that instructions had been issued to several municipalities.

Parliamentary elections in Latvia will be held on October 3.