At stake in this election:

• 100 seats in the Latvian Parliament (Saeima)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Raimonds VEJONIS
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Maris KUCINSKIS
• Assembly: Latvia has a unicameral Parliament (Saeima) with 100 seats

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by parliament to serve a 4-year term
• Prime Minister is nominated by the president with the approval of the parliament
• In the Parliament (Saeima) 100 members are elected by proportional representation from party lists by popular vote to serve 4-year terms*

***Every party has a separate ballot and electors are given as many ballots as there are parties contesting the race. When finished voting, electors place the ballot of their choice in an envelope to be deposited in the ballot box. Each party ballot contains a list of candidates predetermined by the party. Electors can accept the list order as presented or alter the list order to their preference. They may do this by both placing a "+" by the names of candidates they want to move up the list order, and by crossing out names that they would like to see be moved down the list order. The vote for each candidate is equal to the number of votes cast for the list, plus or minus specific votes. Those candidates with the highest totals are declared elected, up to the number of seats allotted to each list. Distribution of seats among them is based on the Saint-Lagüe method. A threshold of 5% is required in order for a party to enter the parliament.

Main parties in the electoral race:*

• Party: National Alliance / acionālā apvienība „Visu Latvijai!” – „Tēvzemei un Brīvībai (LNNK)
  • Leader: Raivis DZINTARS
  • Seats won in last election: 14
• Alliance: Harmony / Saskaņa (SDPS)
  • Leader: Nils UŠAKOVS
  • Seats won in last election: 31
• Alliance: Union of Greens and Farmers / Zaļo un Zemnieku Savienība (ZZS)
  • Leader: Raimonds VĒJONIS
  • Seats won in last election: 13
• Alliance: New Unity / Vienotība
  • Leader: Arvils AŠERADENS
  • Seats won in last election: 20
• Party: Who Owns the State / Kam Pieder Valsts (KPV LV)
  • Leader: Artuss KAIMIŅŠ
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Alliance: For Development / For! / Attīstībai/Par!
  • Leader: Daniels PAVLUTS and Juris PŪCE
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Party: The New Conservative Party / Jaunā Konservatīvā partija (JKP)
  • Leader: Jānis BOURDĀNS
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: From the Heart for Latvia / No Sirds Latvijai
  • Leader: Ingūna SUDRABA
  • Seats won in last election: 7
• Alliance: Latvian Association of Regions / Latvijas Reģionu apvienība
  • Leader: Nellija KLEINBERGA
  • Seats won in last election: 8

* There are 16 parties registered for the election.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 1,929,938 (2018 est.)
• Registered Voters: 1,553,556 (2014)

Gender Data:

• Female Population: 1,043,376 (2018 est.)
• Is Latvia a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (since 1992)
• Has Latvia ratified CEDAW: Yes (14 April 1992)
• Gender Quota: No
• Female Candidates in this election: N/A
• Number of Female Legislators: 16 (16%) of 100 seats in the Parliament (2018)
• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 44 (2016)
• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Ranking: Low (2014)

Disability Data:

• Is Latvia a signatory to CRPD: Yes (18 July 2008)
• Has Latvia ratified CRPD: Yes (1 March 2010)
• Population with a disability: 298,006 (2018 est.)