Evolution of the Lithuanian solution regarding the electoral district for voters voting abroad

Abstract

Lithuania is among the countries with a substantial proportion of its citizens residing abroad. To enable these individuals to exercise their voting rights in elections for the Parliament, the President, and later also the European Parliament, polling districts (polling stations) are established within the premises of diplomatic and consular missions. Until recently, votes cast abroad were allocated to a single-member constituency situated on the territory of the Seimas, specifically Constituency No. 1 (Naujamiesčio apygarda) in Vilnius. However, the significant increase in the number of votes cast by the diaspora prompted the consideration of establishing a separate single- member electoral constituency dedicated to Lithuanian citizens voting abroad. This proposal materialised through the 2019 amendment to the 1992 Law on Elections to the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and was further enshrined in the 2022 Election Code. This article examines the legislative history behind establishing the single-member constituency of the Lithuanians of the world, analyses its regulatory framework, and presents the election outcomes from this constituency in the 2020 and 2024 parliamentary elections.