Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania on 11 and 25 October 2020 to elect the 141 members of the Seimas. 71 were elected in single-member constituencies using the two-round system, and the remaining 70 in a single nationwide constituency using proportional representation. The first round was held on 11 October and the second round on 25 October.
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Lithuanian parliamentary election had the second-lowest turnout in first round elections to the Seimas since the Republic of Lithuania was restored in the early 1990s (the lowest occurred in 2004).
Electoral system
The Seimas has 141 members, elected to a four-year term in parallel voting, with 71 members elected in single-seat constituencies and 70 members elected by proportional representation. The voting in the elections is open to all citizens of Lithuania who are at least 18 years old.
Parliament members in the 71 single-seat constituencies are elected in a majority vote, with a run-off held within 15 days, if necessary. The remaining 70 seats are allocated to the participating political parties using the largest remainder method. Parties normally need to receive at least 5% (7% for multi-party electoral lists) of the votes to be eligible for a seat. Candidates take the seats allocated to their parties based on the preference lists submitted before the election and adjusted by preference votes given by the voters.
To be eligible for election, candidates must be at least 25 years old on the election day, not under allegiance to a foreign state and permanently reside in Lithuania. Persons serving or due to serve a sentence imposed by the court 65 days before the election are not eligible. Also, judges, citizens performing military service, and servicemen of professional military service and officials of statutory institutions and establishments may not stand for election. In addition, a person who has been removed from office through impeachment may not be elected.
Background The 2016 election was a surprise landslide victory for the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS), which won 54 seats, including half of the single-member constituencies. The Skvernelis Cabinet took office with the support of LVŽS and Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP). The latter party split in 2017 due to disagreement about government participation, with some of its MPs forming the Social Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania (LSDDP) with members of the Labour Party. Lacking support in Parliament, the government passed a cooperation agreement with Order and Justice (TT) in 2018. After the 2019 presidential election, Order and Justice and the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance joined a coalition. Later the same year, Order and Justice were expelled from the coalition.
A proposal to reduce the size of the Seimas from 141 to 121 seats failed following a referendum held in May 2019. In the same year, Ramūnas Karbauskis and Naglis Puteikis proposed bill, which reduced electoral threshold from 5% to 3%, but due to President of the Republic of Lithuania veto, this proposal was not implemented.
In 2020, single-member constituencies were redrawn: one constituency was added in Vilnius, one constituency was removed in Kaunas, new worldwide constituency was established and constituencies in rural areas were enlarged.
COVID-19 effects
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Central Electoral Commission proposed extension on early voting (four days instead two days). In the second round special polling places for self-isolating voters were set up in Vilnius, Kaunas, Šiauliai and Raseiniai districts.
On 21 October, a few days before the second round, Lithuanian municipalities were divided into green, yellow and red "risk zones", with de facto lockdown rules, mask mandates and limits on capacities.
Parties Party / Electoral list Abbr. Leader Ideology Politicalposition 2016 election Votes (%) Seats Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union LVŽS Ramūnas Karbauskis TechnocracyAgrarianismGreen conservatism Centre to centre-right 22.45% Homeland Union TS–LKD Gabrielius Landsbergis ConservatismChristian democracyLiberal conservatism Centre-right 22.63% Social Democratic Party of LithuaniaLSDPGintautas PaluckasSocial democracyDemocratic socialismPro-EuropeanismCentre-left to left-wing 15.04% Liberal MovementLRLSViktorija Čmilytė-NielsenClassical liberalismConservative liberalismLiberalismCentre-right 9.45% Freedom and JusticeLTRemigijus ŽemaitaitisConservative liberalismPro-EuropeanismCentre-right 7.78% Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families AllianceLLRA–KŠSValdemar TomaševskiPolish minority interestsChristian democracyConservatismCentre-right 5.72%Labour Party DPViktor UspaskichSocial liberalismPopulismCentre to centre-left 4.88% Centre Party – Nationalists CP-T Naglis PuteikisAgrarianismEuroscepticismCentre 6.88% Lithuanian nationalismNational conservatismRight-wingLithuanian Green Party LŽPRemigijus LapinskasGreen liberalismPro-EuropeanismCentre 2.03%Lithuanian People's Party LLPVaidotas PrunskusRussophiliaLeft-wing nationalismHard EuroscepticismLeft-wing 1.05%The Way of Courage DKJonas VarkalaPopulismAnti-corruption 0.29%Union of Intergenerational Solidarity – Cohesion for LithuaniaKSSLArvydas JuozaitisPensioners' interestsSingle-issue politicsNationalism Did not runLithuania – For EveryoneLVTomas PačėsasInterests of the Lithuanian diaspora Did not run Social Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania LSDDP Gediminas Kirkilas Social democracyPro-EuropeanismNordic model Centre-left Did not existFreedom Party LPAušrinė ArmonaitėLiberalismSocial liberalismProgressivismCentreDid not existChristian UnionKSRimantas DagysChristian democracyChristian social policySocial conservatism Right-wingDid not existNational AllianceNSVytautas RadžvilasLithuanian nationalismConservatismRight-wing to far-rightDid not exist
Politicians not standing Irena Degutienė (TS-LKD) Antanas Baura (LVŽS) Viktoras Rinkevičius (LVŽS) Bronius Bradauskas (LSDP) Leonard Talmont (LLRA) Gintaras Steponavičius (LRLS, independent) Virgilijus Poderys (independent)
Opinion polls
Party vote The following are opinion polls conducted for the legislative elections, measuring estimated percentage of the vote. Highlighted parties successfully pass the electoral threshold to win national list seats. Polling Firm/Link Last dateof pollingTS-LKDLVŽSLSDPLSDDPLTLRLSLLRALCPDPLaisves Baltijos tyrimai 17–27 September 2020 17.7 23 13.9 3.1 7.9 9 5.7 3 8.8 3.3Spinter tyrimai 16–26 September 2020 19.8 19.2 11.4 3 4.9 9.1 4.8 3 9.8 6.1Vilmorus 4–12 September 2020 20.8 21 11.8 4.2 5.3 7.7 3.5 2.6 11.7 3.5 Spinter tyrimai 26 August – 4 September 2020 21.7 19.4 12.6 3.7 4.5 5.9 4.5 3.3 8.6 6.8 Baltijos tyrimai 22 August – 4 September 2020 18.8 19.6 18.2 2.7 7.4 8.2 4 4 11.4 4 Norstat 29 July – 31 August 2020 32.7 15.4 13 3.6 3.4 6.1 1.5 1.5 7.6 5.9 Baltijos tyrimai 16–30 July 2020 19.1 22.5 13.9 2.9 8.2 8 4.7 2.8 10.9 4 Spinter tyrimai 16–26 July 2020 22.8 22.1 13.9 - 5.4 8.8 4.7 3.4 7.5 5.7 Vilmorus 10–18 July 2020 25.3 25.8 10.4 4.6 5.4 6.9 3.2 2.3 9.1 2.3 Spinter tyrimai 18–26 June 2020 25.2 19.8 13.5 - 4.9 7.7 5.7 - 8 6.1 Baltijos tyrimai 15–25 June 2020 18.2 22.5 17 2.9 7.8 8.8 6.6 1.9 8.4 3.7