Description of Electoral System:

(courtesy of IFES election guide)

The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 5-year term. In the Parliament (Seimas), 71 members are elected by direct popular vote to serve 4-year terms and 70 members are elected by proportional representation to serve 4-year terms.

Electoral laws of Lithuania are available here.

Most recent election

Presidential Elections, 17th May 2009

In 2009 presidential elections took place in Lithuania on the 17th May. The President is elected directly for five years. The candidate must be a citizen of Lithuania by birth, must have lived in Lithuania at least the past three years, has to reach the age of 40 the prior day of the election, and has to be eligible for election to Seimas (unicameral Lithuanian parliament) member.

The Electoral Commission announced that 7 candidates were eligible to run for being elected. Potential candidates were obliged to collect more than 20,000 signatures to become an official candidate. The runoff round was supposed to be held on the 7th June in case none of the candidates wins the majority of the vote in the 1st round.

Official results showed that an independent candidate, Ms Dalia Grybauskaitė was elected in the first round of voting on the 17th May to be the President of the Republic of Lithuania. She is the country's first female president.

MS. Grybauskaitė therefore succeeded the incumbent president Valdas Adamkus who did not run for re-election. The new president took her office on the 12th of July 2009.

Over 2.5 million voters were eligible fulfill their public right. Turnout reached the level of 51.71%

Results of 2009 Lithuania Presidential Elections:

Source: Central Election Committee of Lithuania

Detailed results as well as other information concerning Presidential Elections 2009 can be found here. (Source: The Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Lithuania)

Past Elections

Parliamentary Elections, 12th and 26th October 2008

In 2008 parliamentary elections took place in Lithuania in two rounds. In the first round, held on the 12th October 70 members of the Seimas, that is the only Chamber in the Parliament, were elected on proportional party lists. The Lithuanian Electoral Law states that the other 71 MPs need to be appointed by majority vote and will therefore be elected in the second round of voting, except for those who win an absolute majority in the first round. The run-off round was held on the 26th October in those constituencies where no candidate gained more than 50% of the votes.

As a result of the election, Lithuania is expected to be governed by a centre-right coalition, led by Andrius Kubilius, who becomes prime minister for a second time. The coalition of Homeland Union, National Resurrection Party and Liberals' Movement of the Republic of Lithuania gained a combined majority of 72 out of 141 seats.

Detailed results as well as other information concerning Parliamentary Elections 2008 can be found here. (Source: The Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Lithuania)