Signature Collection Starts for Jelgava Municipal Council Dismissal Referendum

On Tuesday, a 30‑day signature collection began in Jelgava, Latvia, to trigger a local referendum on dismissing the municipal council. Under the Local Referendum Law that entered force in September 2024, at least 30 % of eligible voters – 7,060 signatures – must be gathered by 26 August. Eligible participants include Latvian and other EU citizens aged 18 who reside in Jelgava municipality or own property there. Signatures can be submitted electronically via the Central Election Commission portals (e.cvk.lv, latvija.gov.lv) or in person at local registration offices, parish courts and notaries.

The initiative was launched by political activist Raimonds Lejnieks‑Puķe, who intends to run for the council in the 2025 elections. If the threshold is met, the Central Election Commission will verify the signatures within 20 working days, decide on holding the referendum, and set a date no later than four months after that decision. This is the first instance of a signature drive for a council‑dismissal referendum since the new law was adopted.