Latvia, Parliamentary Elections, 3 October 2026

Following an invitation from the Latvian authorities to observe the 3 October 2026 parliamentary elections, and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) undertook a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) from 19 to 22 May. The NAM included Meaghan Fitzgerald, ODIHR Head of Election Department and Kakha Inaishvili, ODIHR Election Adviser.

The purpose of the NAM was to assess the pre-electoral environment and preparations for the elections. Based on this assessment, the NAM recommends whether to deploy an ODIHR observation activity for the forthcoming elections and, if so, what type of activity best meets the identified needs. Meetings were held with officials from state and local institutions and with representatives of political parties, media, and civil society, as well as the resident international community. A full list of meetings is annexed to this report.

ODIHR would like to thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its assistance and co-operation in organizing the NAM. ODIHR would also like to thank each of its interlocutors for taking the time to meet with the NAM and for sharing their views.